Hear Her Roar
by Christie1001
Summary: Modern AU. Follow Cersei Lannister's rise to the power in a modern day Westeros with a presidential race in the backdrop. Reimagination and reinterpretation of various scenes from the show mixed with some new ideas. English is not my first language.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:**

 **This my first GOT fan fiction so I'm pretty terrified. The story literally appeared to me in a dream. I don't expect anyone to be nice, be honest (in a polite way though).**

 **Disclaimer: Obviously, I do not own any of the Game of Thrones characters and events.**

 **Possible spoiler warning for season 1-7 (I'm not sure as of yet.)**

 **I can't promise it will be 100% faithful to the canon, the timeline will be different for sure, but I'll try to capture the essence of the characters.**

* * *

As soon as the car stopped in front of the large apartment building, Cersei practically jumped out. She walked up to the entrance and followed by the doorman's watchful eyes, _Robert's spy no doubt_ , elegantly as ever, she went to the elevator.

When she was finally inside her penthouse, she kicked off her high heels and went to the kitchen.

She had a killer headache. The doctors ordered her to stay in bed for a week after her concussion, but Robert insisted that she go campaigning with him.

She opened the fridge and poured herself a glass of wine. Then another, just to help the painkillers down. She didn't even look which pills she took, she had so many kinds piled up in her kitchen drawer over the years. She wearily sunk into a chair and buried her head in her hands.

'Mother' she heard a familiar voice from upstairs. 'Is that you?'

She was about to confirm, but her son didn't wait for her answer.

'Come up here.' he demanded.

Cersei got up with a sigh and followed the voice.

A terrified man in their " _dungeon room"_ with Clegane over him wasn't an unusual sight for her. She looked at her son expectantly, but he only gave her a satisfied smile.

'Do you recognize him?' he finally asked with a grin.

Cersei shook her head.

'Isn't he the one who took those dirty pictures of you?' the thirteen-year-old boy asked impatiently.

'I couldn't say.' his mother said carelessly.

'Well, he is.' Joffrey remarked, losing his temper.

Cersei could see his disappointment over her reaction. He clearly expected more appreciation. Nevertheless, he continued.

'Apologize.' he shouted at the man who knelt before him.

The man didn't obey, so Clegane slapped him across the face. Finally, he mumbled something.

'Not to me. To my mother. Apologize!' Joffrey yelled.

'I am sorry, Ma'am.' the man groaned.

Joffrey looked at his mother, with overflowing satisfaction, only to see the same bored expression on her face.

'Let him go.' she said firmly.

'No!' her son shouted and Cersei could have sweared that she saw tears in his eyes.

'We got the negatives. We don't need him anymore.'

'No!' Joffrey yelled again. 'He didn't pay for what he did.'

There was no escape. Cersei pulled herself a chair and sat down. Joffrey would have been ready to throw a proper tantrum if she had chosen to leave and not witness his little spectacle.

Her son acknowledged with an affirmative nod that he had his mother's full attention. He stepped closer to his prisoner and hissed into his ears.

'Confess. Go on. Tell us. Don't leave out any details. What did you see?'

'I… I…' the miserable man stuttered. Cersei almost felt sorry for him. Almost. He didn't know what was coming. As a matter of fact, Cersei wasn't sure either.

'Wrong answer.' Joffrey said, and the man's nose got acquainted with Clegane's fist. 'Let me help you begin. You broke into a private island…'

'I broke into a private island.' the man mumbled in a trembling voice. 'I saw Mrs. Baratheon with his twin brother, Jaime Lannister.'

'Captain Lannister.' Joffrey corrected him.

'Captain Lannister.' the prisoner repeated obediently. 'They were sunbathing.'

A faint smile appeared on Cersei's face as she recalled that afternoon. _If only Jaime would be here now. Instead of being captive somwehere in Syria. He would be home with her where he belongs._

The sound of another punch followed by the prisoner's groaning suddenly woke Cersei from her thoughts.

'And?' Joffrey demanded. 'What else did you see?'

The man looked directly at her with pleading eyes. Cersei's heart started to beat faster, but her face didn't tell anything.

'She spilled wine on her bikini and she changed it.'

' _Good. That is all he saw. He had no clue what happened before that. Or after, for that matter.'_ Cersei thought, relieved.

'How long did this take?' Joffrey demanded. 'Thirty seconds? A minute maybe?'

'I don't know.' said the prisoner.

Clegane hit him again. Either for his disobedience or just for the fun of it.

Cersei suppressed a yawn. She wanted nothing more than to lie down on her bed and sleep. Her head was still hurting like hell.

'What's your name?' her son asked the prisoner.

'Brandon.' he muttered.

'Tell me Brandon. Did you like my mother's tits? Did you want to fuck her?' Joffrey asked curiously.

'Joffrey!' Cersei cried out in indignation, but her son deliberately ignored her. This show wasn't for _her_ amusement.

'There is no shame in admitting the truth, Brandon. My mother is a beautiful woman and my father payed a lot of money for those tits.' he paused for a moment, then he continued. 'Sorry, I don't hear you, Brandon. Did you like what you saw?'

Brandon nodded. 'Yes.'

Clegane punched him. The poor bastard started to understand the rules of the game. No matter what he said, he ended up with a punch in his face.

'I'm glad that you had fun, Brandon. I truly am. Do you know what my mother got from my father for your thirty seconds of pleasure?'

Cersei gasped in surprise when she finally understood what that was all about. _That sweet boy she always knew Joffrey was deep down couldn't process those horrible things his father did to his mother. Maybe Tyrion was right. She should have sent Joffrey to boarding school, but after Myrcella's departure, she couldn't bear to be separated from another one of her children._

'Mother' she heard Joffrey's voice again. 'Tell our friend, Brandon, what Father did to you.'

Usually, Cersei was ashamed to admit her weakness, but now she wanted to do everything to make her son feel better.

'He broke my wrist.' she said in a calm voice, instinctively touching her plastered arm.

She couldn't even finish her sentence, but Clegane's foot was already on Brandon's wrist and Cersei soon heard the painfully familiar sound of breaking bones.

'What else did he do?' Joffrey demanded.

'He kicked me in the stomach.' Cersei couldn't help but enjoying Brandon's suffering as she continued her list. It felt like getting back to Robert. 'He kicked me in the ribs…'

Clegane, like the good dog he was, demonstrated everything Cersei had said on their prisoner.

'… he hit my head to the wall.'

Joffrey seemed rather pleased with the result. He smiled at his mother, then he turned back to Brandon with a theatrical sigh.

'I almost forgot. You see, Father has one rule. Not the face. Not her pretty face. You must understand, the future First Lady can't appear with a black eye or swollen nose in public. Lucky for you, you are no First Lady.'

He didn't have to say twice. Clegane punched the man in the face so hard, he spat out a tooth.

Cersei thought she had seen enough. She quietly got up and walked over to the stairs, then she turned back to her son one last time.

'Don't forget to clean up after you finished.'

* * *

Finally, she could have her well-deserved rest. She lay down on her bed and put on some loud music on her phone to suppress the sounds coming from the dungeon. The pills finally kicked in and she felt a bit groggy. She almost fell asleep when the music suddenly stopped because someone called her. It was the doorman.

'Good afternoon, Mrs. Baratheon. Ned Stark is here to see you.' he said without hesitation.

'Let him up.' Cersei ordered and let out a sigh.

On her way to greet her visitor, she checked in on her son.

'Ned Stark is here. Put on some music. Something loud.' she said and carefully closed the door behind her.

It would have been unfortunate if Ned had found out about their home dungeon. He would probably make a big fuss about it.

'Ned, what can I do for you?' Cersei greeted her husband's campaign manager with a polite smile and a kiss on the cheek.

'Are you alone?' he asked as he let the blond woman lead him to the balcony.

'Joffrey is in his room. He is playing video games.' Cersei said without batting an eye. 'How is Sansa? I haven't seen her around for quite some time.'

'You don't know?' Ned asked in surprise. 'I forbade her to come here.'

'It's a shame. She is a lovely girl. I got quite fond of her.' his host remarked indifferently as she breathed in the stinking breeze of the city.

'Joffrey slapped her. Or rather he ordered that bodyguard of yours to hit her.'

If Cersei was surprised, she didn't show.

'Children follow patterns as they grow up. Joffrey has learnt from Robert that women deserve no respect. They are merely there for men to fuck them and beat them. I'm sorry for your daughter.'

Her voice sounded honest. Ned looked at her injured hand with a worried expression.

Cersei followed his gaze. 'Please, Ned, like you didn't know.' she scoffed.

Her guest stepped closer to her and cleared his throat.

'These are not the only patterns I'm worried about. What about the behaviours your children pick up from you? Maybe that is why you have sent your daughter away.'

Cersei turned to him with a hint of curiosity in her eyes, while she rested her good arm on the balcony railings.

'Are you here to pose me riddles, Ned?'

'I apologize. It's just hard for me to talk about this. It's about your children.' he finally blurted out the reason for his visit. 'I know they are not Robert's.'

His friend's wife nodded in appreciation.

'How did you find out?' She didn't even try to deny it.

'I was looking at the old family photos in Robert's study. They all look so similar, the whole Baratheon family, with their dark hair. Except your children. So I took DNA samples during the Christmas party.'

Cersei let out a bitter laughter.

'I invite you to my home, I make you dinner, I call you my friend _in front of others_ , and you repay me by stealing cups and toothbrushes from my kids… God, you really hate me.'

'It's my job to know everything that can harm Robert in this race.' her guest remarked with conviction. 'Tell me who it is.'

'Come on, Ned. Blond hair, green eyes… You must have found it out by now.' Cersei replied with a scornful smile.

Ned Stark shook his head in disbelief as he realized the meaning of her words.

'No. Your brother? Even you can't be that twisted and sick…'

Cersei didn't even have to force herself to remain calm.

'You won't go to the authorities because of the scandal it would cause. Robert would never become President.'

'No, not the authorities.' Ned agreed. 'But I have to tell _him_.'

'Then he will kill me. And he won't become President either.' Cersei pointed out matter-of-factly.

Ned Stark was visibly annoyed seeing her smug arrogance and he wasn't the type who could hide his feelings very well.

'You have to leave.' he hissed angrily. 'I give you a head start. One week. Take your children and leave the States of Westeros. Take as much money as you need.'

Cersei seemed to consider the offer for a minute, then she shook her head.

'You are not the first man who underestimates me. Rober may break all the bones in my hand, but my arms can still reach far.' she said in a threatening voice. 'Your predecessor, Jon Arryn was a curious man just like you. He liked to collect spoons and hairbrushes too.'

She could see Ned Stark's hands clenched in a fist as she walked past by him back to the apartment.

'Is this a threat?' he asked.

'A warning.' Cersei turned back from the door. 'You are here with a working visa. Imagine what would become of your children if their father got suddenly deported. Good day, Ned. Take care.'

Although the Ned Stark problem was successfully handled, it showed that the risks have become higher. Cersei needed to make a decision to finally put an end to her miserable marriage. Put an end to Robert, to be more precise. Fuck the presidential campaign. She was the billionaire Tywin Lannister's daughter. With his and Robert's money combined, she could do whatever she wanted.

But she wasn't quick enough.

A few days later, Ned Stark called her in panic that Robert had found out. He swore it wasn't him and Cersei inclined to believe it, but it didn't matter anymore. She had little time to prepare and if there was one thing she wasn't good at, it was improvising.


	2. Chapter 2

' _It's not how it should have happened._ ' It was all she could think about.

Cersei let the nurse help the thigh boots on her legs, slightly amused by his inexperience with women shoes.

The unusually tall and apparently mute man let out a reproachful groan as he had noticed her scornful smile.

He was right though. There was no point in wearing designer shoes when she couldn't walk in them. _Jaime will appreciate them anyway._ The news of his miraculous escape and her remaining children were the only things keeping her alive these days.

'Get your hands off my ass!' Cersei hissed angrily when the nurse put her in the wheelchair.

Another indignant groan came as a response, followed by a contemptuous glance. The total lack of of empathy in his eyes instantly made Cersei have a certain level of respect for the man.

'Come work for me. I'll triple whatever you earn here.' she said after a second of hesitation.

The man shrugged, then quietly nodded.

'I'll send a car for you tomorrow morning.' Cersei added with a faint smile before letting him go with a wave of her hand.

After the nurse had left her alone in the room, Cersei's fingers wandered to her long blond hair, only to remind her that it had been cut short before the surgery. She let out a sigh.

The images of the accident immediately flooded her mind.

 _It was all Tyrion's fault. And Ned's. And Robert's. And Jaime's. Especially Jaime's, because he wasn't there._

 _As soon as Ned Stark warned her about Robert's suspicion regarding their children's true paternity, she called her younger brother to pick up the children from school and take them as far from Robert as he could. But instead, Joffrey was home when Robert showed up so drunk and high like never before, with the sole intention of beating the life out of her. Joffrey somehow got between them and Robert pushed him down the stairs. He was lying there unconscious and Cersei had to beg for minutes until her husband finally agreed to take him to the hospital. He got scared too, he even let Cersei drive, but then suddenly he realized why he had come home in the first place. The boy might not even be his. He wanted to force a confession out of his wife, ready to let the kid die if she didn't tell him the truth. He shouted at her to stop the car and when she refused, he started choking her until finally she lost control of the vehicule._

' _Damn, woman! Look what you have done to my car!' was all he could say after the car had stopped spinning and they were sitting there, covered in blood and broken glass._

 _Cersei looked at her husband and she couldn't help seeing an opportunity in their situation. She didn't think twice. She grabbed a sharp shard of glass and stabbed her husband in the throat. She will never forget the expression on his face when he died: the perfect mix of shock and anger._

' _Mom!' she heard a weak voice from behind and it has been just then she realized that her son was in the car too._

 _He looked awful. Barely breathing, bleeding heavily, but he was conscious. Cersei knew that she wasn't all right either, since she couldn't feel her legs, but somehow she managed to climb over to him. According to her doctors, if she hadn't done that, she might still be able to walk._

 _Joffrey died in her arms._

It was strange to think about that memory and hardly feel anything. All those drugs they had given her for the physical and emotional pain made her numb. Not feeling her legs was one thing, but not feeling her rightful pain was worse. Until the effect of the pills wore off and she cried, yelled and begged to be numb again. Vicious circle.

'Ready to roll?' a familiar voice dragged her out of her thoughts.

It belonged to her younger brother, Tyrion.

'What are you doing here? Where is Jaime?' she snapped at him.

'He went to the airport with Tommen to pick up Myrcella. They will join us in the penthouse.' Tyrion replied while he took a full circle around her to study the wheelchair.

'No way. If he is not here now, I don't want to see him. As for the children, they will never see me like this.' she said in a firm voice and quickly grabbed her phone to text to her twin brother.

Tyrion didn't argue.

'How does it work?' he asked, still looking at her chair.

'You just push it.' Cersei rolled her eyes. She could have asked for an automatic one with GPS and massage function, but she couldn't bear the thought of something going wrong. Plus, at least she could have the illusion of a minimal control in her miserable situation. 'Are we going or what?'

They had the same height now that she was sitting and her brother was standing behind her, having difficulty to reach the handle of the wheelchair.

Cersei let out a sigh and put on her oversized sunglasses while Tyrion pushed her along the corridor. That was about to be the most humiliating experience of her life.

* * *

'Are you out of your fucking mind?' Cersei screamed when she realized her brother's intention. 'I am not going on the subway.'

'You don't have a choice. I may have had a few drinks yesterday and I temporary misplaced my wallet.' Tyrion said with ease.

'You are enjoying yourself, aren't you?' his sister hissed between her teeth.

'And you are angry. Finally. I was worried you would never be your old self again. But you are angry. That's good. I can work with that.' Tyrion replied with a smile.

'You are funny.' Cersei remarked bitterly while they were going down the elevator. 'You are funny. But you know, none of your jokes will ever match the first one. You ripped my mother open on your way out of her and she bled to death.'

The other passengers on the platform stared at her disapprovingly, but Cersei didn't pay attention to them.

'She was my mother too.' Tyrion mumbled.

Cersei didn't see his face because he stood behind her, but she could hear the hurt in his voice. She knew she had gone too far but she couldn't stop herself.

The approaching subway train muffled her voice, so she spoke louder.

'Mother gone, for the sake of you. There's no bigger joke in the world than that.' she sighed indifferently.

Her brother scoffed. He leaned closer to her and whispered in her ears.

'I could just leave you here.' he pushed her wheelchair in the train, while he stayed on the platform, ready to keep his threat.

Cersei smiled and shrugged. She couldn't care less. All the anger she had was already gone.

* * *

'You shouldn't shut Jaime out.' Tyrion said later when they were in her lavish penthouse home. 'He was always there for you.'

Cersei looked around her apartment. Tyrion did his homework. There were ramps and handrails everywhere, it looked like a goddamn monkey cage.

'Yes, I suppose he was. Until he left me and let himself captured by terrorists.' she sighed. 'So tell me, what good it brought me having him in my life?'

Tyrion frowned.

'Your children?' he suggested with poorly hidden shock in his voice, but Cersei just laughed at him.

'Bring something to drink.' she ordered him.

By the time Tyrion got back with a bottle of wine and two glasses, she made herself comfortable on the sofa with the help of her brand new handrails.

'Do you want to talk about my children? Let's talk about the one who is dead because of you.' she said as she poured herself a drink and took some pills to down them with it.

'Cersei.' Her brother pronounced her name as a warning that his patience was finite.

She poured another glass for both of them. They were drinking in silence for a while, focusing their full attention on the crimson-coloured content of their glasses. Then Cersei's eyes hesitantly shifted toward her brother.

'Where were you that day? You said you would pick them up from school, but you never did, did you?' she asked curiously.

She looked in her brother's eyes. She needed someone to blame. She needed it so much to make that horrible tragedy just a little less unbearable. Tyrion must have felt it because he broke their eye contact and lowered his eyes.

'No.' he sighed. 'I was with a hooker. I figured since I have already payed the hour, I might as well enjoy it. I didn't think it would hurt the boys to wait a little longer.'

He said it with a feigned ease and Cersei knew better than to believe her brother's lie. He loved the children, he was worried about them. The minute she had called him, he got in a cab to find them. Cersei remembered hearing him tell the driver the school's address. _What was he talking about now? What was this game?_

And yet, she played along.

'I will never forgive you for this.' she hissed angrily.

She leaned across the coffee table and made her brother look at her. 'First, you ship off my daughter to boarding school, then…'

Tyrion finally lost his temper.

'For God's sake, Cersei, would you have rather had her in that car too?'

Cersei shook her head. This game went too far. Suggesting that she too should be blamed in any way was just too much to bear.

'Get out!' she screamed. 'Get out!'

She leaned back on the sofa and covered her face with her hands. She heard her brother's retreating footsteps, followed by the opening and closing of the elevator door behind him. He was gone. Cersei lowered her hands and opened her eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

**A.N. Thanks for the reviews, the followers and of course, all readers.**

 **This is a family drama for now, but I promise there will be more politics soon.**

* * *

After two weeks Cersei decided to let Tyrion back.

She hated to admit, but she missed her punching bag. Gregor was quiet and always did as he was told. He was no challenge.

'You are drunk.' Tyrion stated matter-of-factly when he entered her bedroom.

Cersei was lying on her bed, still in pyjamas, playing with one of Joffrey's old video games.

'You are just jealous because you are not. But go ahead, help yourself.' she murmured, her eyes glued to the screen.

She saw her brother from the corner of her eye moving toward the bottle of wine she had left on the coffee table, then he stopped.

'What the hell are you doing anyway?'

Cersei dropped the joystick on the mattress and shrugged. 'It improves motor function. Doctor's orders.'

'The drinking too?' Tyrion mumbled disapprovingly.

His sister gave him a long look filled with suspicion.

'Why do you care?'

Tyrion frowned. Cersei could see his hesitation and she didn't know what to make of it.

'I wanted to take you out to the park.' her brother finally said.

Cersei could tell that it wasn't all he had to say, but she just didn't feel like fighting him.

'Then take me.' she sighed, making it obvious how little she cared.

* * *

Gregor obediently parked the wheelchair under a large tree, then sat on a bench further away to give them privacy.

The park was full of parents and their young children. Cersei caught herself looking at them longingly behind her sunglasses until she saw her own. She turned to her brother who didn't seem surprised. _Of course not. He was the one who set it all up._

'I will hurt you for this.' Cersei cursed at him with a deadly stare.

They didn't have more time left. Tommen rushed to his mother and jumped into her lap, nearly toppling the wheelchair over.

'My, my! You have become a force to be reckoned with.' the anger immediately disappeared from Cersei's face and gave way to a warm smile.

She caressed her son's golden hair while she glanced at her daughter who stopped a little further away, standing reserved with her arms folded in front of her chest.

'I have grown two inches.' Tommen boasted, which made his mother turn back to him.

'You have not.' Cersei feigned shock.

Tommen climbed off her lap and ran to his uncle, leaning his back against his.

'I'm almost as tall as Uncle Tyrion.' he cried out happily. 'And I lost a tooth.'

His mother gave him a gentle smile.

'It was about time. I was afraid you would be stuck with your baby teeth.'

'Yes. Margaery told me that I should put it under my pillow and the tooth fairy will bring me a present.'

'Did she?' Cersei tensed at the mentioning of her father's second wife. The _gold digger_ or _the childbride_ as she called her, since Margaery wasn't just significantly younger than Tywin, but also his children.

'And guess what, Mom.' Tommen continued in ecstasy, without noticing his mother's disgusted expression. 'She brought me a cat. A big, white one. She is beautiful. I call her Rosie.'

Cersei glanced at her brother, expecting an explanation and Tyrion didn't delay with the answer.

'Margaery took a sudden interest in Tommen. They have spent a lot of time together lately. I tried to tell you, but you didn't bother to listen.'

'You should have tried harder.' Cersei hissed angrily. 'That bitch should be nowhere near my son.'

'I have to go back home soon, Margaery promised to help me give a bath to Rosie.' her son remarked shyly, which made Cersei frown.

'Home. You mean me you _live_ with Margaery.'

'Yes, and grandfather.' Tommen nodded.

'I specifically told I wanted the children under Jaime's care.' Cersei raised her voice, once again expecting his brother to answer for the terrible mistake.

Tyrion shrugged.

'Father thought they would be better off in a bigger house, with a woman to take care of them.'

'A woman? More like a girl. The cunning little slut. She was always after Father's money and now she wants my children too.' Cersei hissed with rage.

'The kids shouldn't hear you talk like that.' her brother warned her, but she could notice his satisfaction. And he didn't finish just yet.

'I wonder if Margaery's friendship with Tommen has anything to do with the fact that Father is making his will. Since you were not exactly cooperative in the past weeks, he might decide to name _her_ guardian to the children's inheritance instead of you.' Tyrion pointed out.

Whatever he wanted by telling this, it worked. Cersei was ready to march up to Margaery and claw her eyes out.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of a slamming car door, followed by two short beeps. They both turned to the source of the noise and saw Jaime leaving his car, walking towards them.

Cersei managed to hide her excitement and her shock over the sight of his missing hand, although she has already known about it from Tyrion.

'So that is how I can trust you with my children. You push them into the arms of Father and that little whore.' she spat out the words.

Jaime seemed more than hurt by her cold greeting, even though he tried his best not to show.

'He had already taken them by the time I have arrived.'

Cersei wasn't pleased with the answer. She looked away and deliberately turned to her daughter.

'What about you, Myrcella? How are you, my darling?'

'Because now you care.' the young girl remarked scornfully.

Cersei's eyes widened. She didn't know what to make of this hostility from her ever sweet and caring daughter.

'I do care. I think of you every day since you left.' she said with a hint of resentment. _No one will lecture her, not even her own daughter._

'I called you every day, Mom. I called you every day after the accident, but you never picked up. What happened to you?' she stared at her mother with accusing eyes.

'You know damn well what happened to me, Myrcella!' Cersei snapped at her and grabbed her daughter's wrist. 'Your father is dead, not that any of us should feel sorry for him… but I lost my son and look where I am now.'

Myrcella hissed in pain. Her mother noticed and quickly let go of her hand.

'I'm sorry you were not my number one concern.' she tried to be sarcastic, but one look at her daughter made it impossible not to care.

'This will change, I promise. Everything will be different now.' she promised, giving her a reassuring smile.

'What do you mean?'

They almost forgot about Tommen's presence who had to repeat his question.

'What do you mean?'

'You come home with me. Both of you. I will take Myrcella out from that miserable boarding hellhole.' Cersei remarked in a firm voice.

'But I don't want to. I like that school.' her daughter protested.

Cersei gave her a surprised look, then suddenly a smile appeared on her face.

'It's about the boy, isn't it? Your boyfriend.'

'Trystane is not my boyfriend. Margaery says I'm too young to have a boyfriend.' Myrcella lowered her eyes and started to bite her nails.

Her mother leaned forward in her chair to slap her hand out of her mouth.

'Love has nothing to do with age.' she remarked softly, then she looked up to her twin brother who stood behind her. 'It comes when it comes.'

Jaime gently caressed her cheek, then he put his good hand on her shoulder. They looked each other in the eye longingly, then Cersei broke eye contact.

She turned back to her daughter. 'You come home with me for the rest of the holiday, then we'll talk about the school.

She took out her phone and texted his nurse, who appeared in a minute.

'Children, this is Gregor. He was taking care of me in the past few weeks and now he will take care of you too.'

Tommen and Myrcella instinctively backed away from the giant man, but they politely extended their hands and introduced themselves.

'Gregor, I would like you to take the children to my Father's house and help them get their things. They will move back to me. You can take the car, Jaime will take me home.'

Gregor quietly nodded and he was about to leave with Tommen and Myrcella, but Cersei didn't finish.

'You should have some lunch first.' she took out her purse and held up one of her credit cards.

Gregor wanted to take it, but Cersei drew back her hand. The nurse and the children looked at her in confusion. Cersei gave Myrcella a firm look to remind her of the rule.

' _Money always stays in the family.'_

All their employees were payed weekly, but they never handed them money directly, nor did she ever give them credit cards. Whenever the children went somewhere without their parents, it was always Joffrey's responsibility to _handle the finances_ , as he liked to call it.

Finally, Myrcella extended her hand and took the shiny silver card from her mother.

'You are in charge now.' Cersei remarked softly and gave a bitter smile to her daughter.

* * *

'Quite the fortess you have in here.' Jaime remarked as he and his twin were back in her penthouse.

'It's a prison.' Cersei stated bluntly while she grabbed a handrail and as elegantly as she could pulled herself onto the sofa.

'I have been in less comfortable prisons.' her brother remarked laughingly, but his eyes said otherwise.

He sat beside her on the sofa and put his arm around her. He began stroking her hand with his good one, then he started kissing her neck and ear.

'Stop it.' Cersei pulled away. 'You have no right to touch me anymore.'

'What?' Jaime asked after he reluctantly let go of her.

His twin sister gave him a deadly gaze.

'You left me.'

'I was deployed.' Jaime stated what they both knew. 'I'm a soldier. I had to go.'

Cersei nodded, she seemed to understand, then she looked at him with the same scornful look than before.

'You left me.' she repeated accusingly. 'Look what happened. My husband is dead. The presidential campaign, everything we worked for is over. All the sacrifice I made, it was for nothing.'

'The presidential campaign?!' Jaime asked in disbelief.

Cersei remained quiet. Her brother gave her a questioning look and shook his head.

'It is a small price for getting rid of Robert. You know how many sleepless nights I prayed for his death. I hated to leave you here with him.' he said passionately.

'Yet you did.' Cersei scoffed. 'And now our son… Our son is dead.'

She couldn't hold back her tears anymore. Jaime tried to hug her, but she roughly pushed him away.

'You were not here to protect him! You were not here to protect me!' she screamed.

Her loud sobs echoed in the silence of the large living room. Finally, she quieted down and she looked at her brother through her tears.

'I'm sorry.' Jaime whispered and made another unsuccessful attempt to hold her hand.

'That's all? You left me. You let yourself be captured for almost a year and you expect me to forgive you?' she shouted indignantly.

Her hands were shaking from anger as she poured herself a glass of wine from the bottle she found on the table. She took some of her pills too, and dropped them into the glass.

'You have nothing to forgive.' Jaime raised his voice too. 'Every day I was a prisoner I plotted my escape. Every day. I murdered people so I could be here with you. I lost my hand, for God's sake!'

His sister burst out in a bitter laughter.

'A hand, Jaime? You lost a hand?' she cupped his face and pressed a harsh kiss on his lips. 'I lost my legs.'

'You will walk again, Cersei.' Jaime mumbled.

'Really?' his twin scoffed. 'I didn't know you got your medical degree while you were enjoying the terrorists' hospitality.'

Jaime sighed. He must have been tired of fighting. Cersei couldn't help but feeling the same way. She yawned and lay down on her side, her head resting on the cushion. Her brother rose from his seat and crouched beside the sofa to face her. Cersei extended her hand and stroked his cheek.

'We'll get you a new hand.' she murmured. 'It will be better than the old one.'

'A prosthetic hand? Joff would love it.' her brother whispered, touching her hand and pressing a kiss on it.

'Yes, he would. He was crazy about robots.' she whispered back as tears clouded her eyes.

'Listen to me.' Jaime said softly, wiping off the teardrops from her face one by one. 'Nothing is over. We will get through this. And when we do, our family will be stronger than ever. We will take everything that's ours and more. Nothing will stop us. You just think about that, will you?'

'Yes.' Cersei breathed and pulled his head closer to her own to kiss him.


	4. Chapter 4

The first rays of sunlight woke Cersei. She had forgotten to draw the curtains last night and now she had to pay the sweet price. She turned to her sleeping twin brother and gently stroked his cheek. Ever since he moved in, things seemed easier and she started to feel safe again. She turned back to her side and leaned over to get her phone from the nightstand. She was about to call Gregor from downstairs to help her get dressed when Jaime woke up.

'Don't call him. Let me do it.' he moaned and kissed her bare shoulder.

'With your one hand?' Cersei said with unintended contempt in her voice.

But upon seeing his expression following her remark, she took pity on him. She let him help putting on her black lace undergarment, although they had to admit that he was much more talented at removing them.

'So I was thinking about what you had said. And I decided what I want to do.' Cersei remarked while Jaime carefully drew the stockings up her legs.

'Oh yeah? What would that be?' he asked carelessly, focusing his full attention on the stockings.

'I am going to be the President of the Seven States of Westeros.' Cersei said as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Her twin burst out in laughter. He expected her to join him until he realized she wasn't joking.

'Shit, Cersei. You can't be serious.'

'Why not?' Cersei asked resentfully.

Jaime gave her the look their father gave her whenever she disappointed him in some way. _Lannisters don't act like fools._

'First of all, you have no experience.' he began.

She immediately snapped at him. 'I have spent my last fifteen years prepping up Robert. I have plenty of experience.'

Her brother shook his head dismissively.

'Still, it is not political experience. Then you have that otherwise formidable quality of being a woman.'

His smug sneer made her so angry that she couldn't help herself and slapped him across the face.

'You don't believe in me, I get in. But think about it. With Robert gone, his supporters will need someone who can represent their interests. And I don't see better candidate than his grieving widow whose only desire is to carry on his legacy.'

Jaime seemed to consider her words. _He was always easy to convince._

'You are actually good at it. If I hadn't known better, you would have totally gotten me with the grieving widow crap.' he remarked, genuinely impressed. 'Though I'm not sure the Robert Baratheon voters can guarantee you a win. Besides, he was a conservative. His supporters won't automatically vote for you.'

Cersei smiled at him.

'Well, I don't need them. Not all of them. I'll have the women votes, the disabled votes – although I have no intention of staying in this state for much longer.' she said with conviction, then she continued. 'And with your help, I can have the Army votes as well.'

Jaime slowly nodded.

'You certainly thought it through.' he remarked with a hint of surprise in his voice. 'You know what? Maybe it's not entirely impossible. Aerys Targaryen made a mess of this country.'

'The Mad President.' Cersei added with a scornful tone.

She was already in her wheelchair and now it was her turn to help Jaime with the buttons of his jeans and shirt.

'People are ready for a change. Any kind of change. I won't even have to be a conservative. I can be somewhere in the middle. If only I could get Father's support…' she remarked absently as she put the finishing touches on her twin brother's outfit.

* * *

Her renewed sense of purpose and excitement made Cersei looking into the future with a strange optimism, maybe the first time in her life since her mother's death. She was surprised how easily she could shut out her negative feelings, which freed a lot of energy. That's how she happened to find herself in the kitchen one morning, making breakfast for her family.

'I can't remember the last time you made pancakes.' Myrcella remarked with a wide smile as she poured chocolate syrup on her plate.

'Eat the fruits too.' her mother said firmly as she handed her a bowl of strawberries.

She rolled her wheelchair to her son and put the fresh pancakes from the pan to his plate.

'I can take it myself.' Tommen mumbled gloomily.

Cersei opened her mouth to scold him for his behaviour, then she decided to let it go. She put the empty pan on the counter and rolled back to her own place.

'These are really good.' her twin brother remarked with full mouth and smiled at her.

'I'm glad you still like them because my cooking skills haven't improved much in the past thirty years.' she replied laughingly.

Jaime's eyes darkened for a moment because his sister's remark had been a clear reference to their mother's death. They both remembered all too well to the confusion and chaos following the tragedy and her desperate attempts to become all of a sudden the mistress of the house.

Myrcella's voice dragged them out of their grim memories.

'You only made pancakes when Father was away.' she remarked with an absent smile.

'Then, I guess it means I have to make pancakes every day from now on.' her mother said with a knowing wink.

Myrcella chuckled. 'Only until you get married again.'

Cersei frowned. She was surprised that her daughter brought up that subject, but she wasn't that kind of mother who would scold her children just because they had strange ideas. If nothing else she was curious about their opinion. She would rather ask them questions before forcing her own views on them.

'Who would you have me marry?' she asked with genuine interest in her voice.

Her daughter bit her lips in concentration, then she came up with an answer.

'Uncle Jaime, for example. He is nice. And you love him.' she said, giggling.

Cersei could see that Jaime had almost choked on his pancake and Tommen pulled a grimace too, but she remained perfectly calm. In fact, she was more interested how far Myrcella would go to defend her argument.

'I could do worse, I suppose.' she finally remarked. 'Of course, the law is against it.'

Myrcella shrugged her shoulders.

'When you become President, you will be the law.' she said innocently as she stuffed another bit of pancake into her mouth.

Cersei noticed her twin brother's worried glance and gave him a reassuring smile. They quietly argued with their eyes, whether they should correct their daughter or not, until Tommen's voice broke the silence.

'Can I go now?' he whined in a high-pitched voice.

Cersei looked at her son and his nearly full plate.

'You have barely eaten anything.'

Tommen was already standing, ready to leave. 'I'm not hungry.'

His mother gave him a worried look and took his arm to pull him closer. She touched his forehead to check his temperature, then stroked his cheek.

'You are not sick. So what is it?' she sighed. 'Is this still about the stupid cat? I'll get you another one.'

Her son instantly backed away from her and shook his head.

'But I want Rosie. Why can't I go to Margaery?'

'Because I don't want her anywhere near you.' Cersei hissed angrily. 'She doesn't want what is best for you. She is a liar. You have to trust me on this.'

Ever since the children were back home, it was all about Margaery for Tommen. Cersei could have strangled the woman because she managed to seduce her son in less than _eight_ _weeks_ after she has been his mother for _eight years_. It was hard for her to forgive Tommen's betrayal too, but when she saw the tears welled up in his eyes, she couldn't help herself. She sat him in her lap and gently kissed his head.

'I'll call her, all right? But just because of the cat, nothing else.' she said in a firm voice.

Tommen's face immediately lit up.

'Will you call her now?' he asked with pleading eyes.

Cersei had of course no intention of calling the little gold digger, but she knew there was no way out. Tommen ran upstairs and returned with her phone in a minute.

 _You have reached Margaery. Please, leave a message or leave me alone._

'Leave a message.' Tommen demanded, standing behind her chair.

Cersei rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh.

'Hi Margaery, it's Cersei. I'm calling about Tommen's cat. I know you are very busy spending my father's money, but please text me when you are home so I could send someone to get it.'

Tommen wasn't entirely happy with the tone of the message, but at least he was willing to finish his breakfast. Cersei looked at him with a satisfied smile when her phone started buzzing.

'Is it her?' her son jumped up immediately.

'No, it's the doorman.'

'Good morning, Mrs. Baratheron.' Cersei heard the familiar voice from the other side of the line. 'The police are here. Can I let them up? They have a warrant.'

Cersei glanced at her brother who was just as clueless as her.

'Yes, of course. Let them up.' she replied in mock ease.

Jaime stood up and went to the hall to greet the two detectives.

'Good morning, Sir!' the older one began. 'King's Landing PD Homicide. We would like to speak to Cersei Baratheon.'

'Come on in. My sister is in the dining room.' Jaime showed the way for the two men.

The detectives extended their hands to Cersei and the younger one handed her a piece of paper.

'Morning, Ma'am! We have a warrant to search the apartment.'

Cersei skimmed through the document, then looked up to the men in confusion.

'If I understand correctly, you are here because of my husband's death. I thought it was a closed case. I had already told your colleagues everything about the accident.'

She sounded so innocent, her voice even cracked when she said out the last word. She could see that the two detectives were pitying her.

'New evidences came up. We are obligated to reinvestigate the case to rule out murder.' the older man said while the younger lowered his eyes to avoid meeting hers.

 _He was the weakest link._

'Murder?' Cersei asked in shock, addressing her question directly to him.

'We have found your fingerprints on the piece of glass that was stuck in your husband's throat.' he explained in a low voice.

His colleague gave him a reproachful look. It was obvious he shouldn't have shared that sensitive information with her.

Cersei shot her children a worried glance since they didn't have such a detailed knowledge of their father's death. Jaime must have felt her discomfort because he quickly whispered something to Tommen and Myrcella who then left without any hesitation.

'Yes, my fingerprints are probably all over that piece of glass.' Cersei remarked in a soft, distant voice. 'I… I tried to remove it. One just can't think straight in a moment like that. Then, I heard my son crying for help. So I climbed over to him.'

She held the young detective's gaze, so suggestively, he was not able to look away. His colleague went upstairs to take a look around, but he decided to stay with her for a moment before he followed him.

'The order came from up. We had no choice, but it's just a formality, really. I'm sorry we have to put you through this.' he mumbled in a hoarse voice.

Cersei gave him a reassuring smile.

'Don't worry, Detective. I have a feeling where your order came from. Please, tell my brother-in-law that if this is about the money, he doesn't have to worry. I will continue to pay his daughter's medical treatment just as we did with Robert when he was still alive.'

The young man gave her an empathic nod. He opened his mouth to say something, but his colleague's voice stopped him.

'Mrs. Baratheon? There is a locked door here. Can you give me the passcode?'

 _Shit. The Dungeon._

'L-Y-A-N-N-A.' Cersei said with a hidden frown to the young detective who acknowledged it with a nod.

He was ready to go upstairs with the info when Cersei continued.

'It was our _play room_. My husband and I liked to experiment, in case you are wondering about the things you will find there. I locked it because I didn't think I would use that room ever again.'

After the detective left to join his colleague, Cersei looked for her twin brother's gaze.

'Nice act.' Jaime remarked with a smirk as he leaned against the dining table. 'I wish you would have told me sooner that you were into bondage.'

Cersei rolled her eyes.

'Shut up. You know what's in that room. I had to improvise.' she sighed. 'I'm so close to get everything. I just hope Stannis won't ruin it.'

'You worry too much.' her brother brushed aside her fears. 'The guy just admitted they wouldn't take it seriously. They have nothing against you.'

He cupped her chin, running through his finger on her lips and pressed a reassuring kiss on them.


	5. Chapter 5

**A.N. Thanks for the reviews, I have really appreciated them. :)**

* * *

'What's the giant for?' Cersei heard her father's disapproving voice from the elevator door after Gregor helped him and his wife with their coat and led them in the living room.

'He is my new nurse.' Cersei replied as Tywin kissed her on the cheek. 'Happy Birthday, Dad!'

'Isn't he a handsome one?' Margaery remarked with her thick southern accent, staring after Gregor who had already left the room.

Cersei exchanged a scornful glance with her twin brother that didn't escape their so-called step mother's eyes.

Tyrion who stood behind his sister's wheelchair couldn't stop himself making a malicious comment.

'Anyone under seventy would be an improvement for her.' he whispered in her ear.

Cersei bit her lips, but she couldn't hold back a chuckle.

'Whispering in company is not very polite, you know.' Margaery scolded them.

Cersei looked for Jaime's eyes who was just as furious as she was. They couldn't stand when the little gold digger played the mother to mock them.

'Drop the act, Margaery, you are younger than us.' Cersei hissed angrily.

The other woman didn't have a chance to reply as the children came running down the stairs to greet her and their grandfather.

Cersei acknowledged Tommen's affection toward his grandfather's wife with a painful grimace. She looked away and turned to her father instead, who was hugging Myrcella.

'Father, can I have a word with you?' she asked in a firm voice.

She turned her wheelchair around and headed for Robert's former study. As soon as her father realized her intention to leave, he let go of his granddaughter and followed her.

* * *

'Please, sit.' Cersei offered her father a seat while she settled at the other side of the table. 'Whisky?'

Tywin gave her a suspicious look, then nodded. Cersei picked up the decanter and poured themselves a drink.

'You shouldn't mix that with your medication.' her father remarked when his daughter's lips touched the glass.

Cersei smiled at him. 'I can handle it.'

She liked to think that her father cared, though she had no illusions.

'What is it that you can only tell me in your husband's study?' Tywin asked after he took a sip of his whisky.

'It is my study now.' Cersei corrected him.

Her father didn't flinch.

'All right. Why do you need a study?'

Tywin wasn't the type of person who liked to waste his time and his daughter was no exception. Cersei felt his growing impatience in the short question. She'd better not seem uncertain now.

'I will take Robert's place and become the next President of Westeros.'

If Tywin was surprised, he didn't show it.

'How do you intend to achieve that?' he asked, almost bored.

Cersei was ready with the answer.

'I can have Robert's voters and of course, the female voters. Jaime can secure the Army votes. You could help with the business sector and we will see the rest.'

Tywin shook his head and downed the rest of his drink.

'That's not answering my question.'

His glass hit the wooden table with a loud thud.

'Why?' Cersei asked eagerly.

'You are speculating.' she heard her father's tired voice. He has been through this with many candidates over the decades.'You don't have the first idea how to get those votes.'

Cersei feigned a smile.

Her father needed a new candidate in Robert's place. Ned Stark might have been her husband's campaign manager, but it was Tywin who pulled the strings. He had been chief of staff to President Targaryen during his first administration, but he left him in order to launch the political career of his son-in-law. Everyone knew that Tywin Lannister would have a crucial role in choosing the next president of Westeros.

Tywin needed a candidate and Cersei had an advantage over the others. She knew how to sell a pitch to her father. After all, that's what she was doing her whole life. Whether it was about karate lessons with Jaime, lavishing parties in Lannisport or her marriage to Robert Baratheon – all three times ended with her on the losing side – her father taught her never to take anything for granted. She paid a high price, but Cersei learnt how to make Tywin Lannister listen. _So she thought._

'That's the job, isn't it? Finding out how to get those votes.' she said with ease.

Tywin's lips almost curved into a smile.

'I appreciate your confidence.'

That was all the compliment his daughter could get.

'What about your condition? No one will elect a woman in a wheelchair for President.' he remarked indifferently.

'No one will elect an unfuckable woman for President…' Cersei mumbled bitterly.

A part of her hoped that her father would protest, but he didn't so she continued.

'My doctor told me about a surgery. It costs a fortune and it is still in experimental phase, but it is said to be effective.'

Her voice sounded confident - as if it was already a done deal.

'Good.' Tywin nodded with satisfaction.'I have a dwarf and an invalid for sons. I could do without a crippled daughter. What do you need me for?'

Cersei poured another glass for them both.

'Stannis froze my accounts. I can't do anything until I make the investigation go away. I should hire a lawyer first. Then, I'll need money for my surgery and for my campaign.'

She expected her father to ask about the sum, but he just nodded.

'All right. I'll call Baelish to take care of your problem with Stannis. And I'll pay for your surgery.'

Cersei was waiting for the rest, but there were none. Her father remained quiet.

'What about my presidential campaign?' she asked with an expectant look.

Tywin took a sip of his whisky. He slowly got up from his chair and walked over to the window.

'I suggest you find some big money donors.'

Disappointment was written all over Cersei's face and she didn't care about keeping a facade anymore. She slammed her glass on the desk in blind anger.

'You gave your support to Robert without question. If Jaime or even Tyrion sat here instead of me, you wouldn't hesitate to give them your blessing.'

Tywin walked back to the desk and put his hand on the back of his chair.

'I would give your brothers my blessing if they were willing to do anything at all. Drinking and buying prostitutes is not a career, neither is risking your life in someone else's wars.'

Cersei couldn't hold back a smile at the thought that being a drunk or a decorated war hero made no difference for her father.

'Did it ever occur to you that I might be the one who deserves your confidence and your trust? Not your sons. Not Jaime or Tyrion, but me.' she asked in a serious voice.

Her father snorted in response.

'I don't distrust you because you are a woman. I distrust you because you are not as smart as you think you are.'

'But I am your daughter!' Cersei cried out in indignation.

Tywin ignored her outburst and replied in the same cold manner.

'That's why you should know that I won't reward you for showing up. Put something on the table, prove me that you are worthy of my support, then we'll talk again.'

Cersei bit her lips and remained quiet. Her father acknowledged her defeat with a content nod.

'Good. Now, can I call Baelish for you?'

He didn't wait for her answer. He took out his phone and dialed a number.

'Hi, Petyr. It's Tywin Lannister.'

' _Hey Tywin. How are you?'_ Cersei heard from the other side of the line.

'Good.' her father replied shortly. 'Listen, my daughter's got a small problem with her brother-in-law. I'll put you on speaker so she could tell you.'

He tossed his phone on the desk, halfway between him and his daughter.

' _Hello, Blondie. What can I do for you?'_ the lawyer asked in a coaxing tone.

Cersei rolled her eyes and her father shook his head in contempt.

'Good evening, Petyr. Sorry to bother you on a Sunday.' she greeted him politely. 'I'll get right to it. They reopened the case on Robert's death. Stannis is accusing me of murder.'

' _What do they have?'_ Baelsih asked without skipping a beat.

'My fingerprints on the piece of glass that killed my husband.' Cersei explained.

The lawyer let out a scornful laugh.' _That's nothing. It will never make it to the court.'_

Tywin leaned closer to the phone and cleared his throat.

'They froze her accounts.'

Baelish snorted in disdain and remained quiet for a moment.

' _Yeah, yeah. Don't worry.'_ he finally said. ' _They just want to scare you. They want you to believe that they are serious, when in fact, they are just doing a favour for Stannis because Daddy Baratheon was a cop too.'_

'I figured that much.' Cersei mumbled reproachfully.

' _Cause you are a smart girl, Blondie.'_ The lawyer remarked laughingly. _'You just need to smile more. Anyway, I'll get your money back in a week. And as your lawyer, I recommend you to sue Stannis for slander. Because of your husband, you are a public figure. And your reputation is about to get a lot more important if one can believe the rumours.'_

Tywin gave a sharp look to his daughter who shook her head in surprise.

'I don't know what you are talking about.' Cersei said in mock ease. 'But I'll gladly sue the hell out of Stannis.'

' _All right then. Is there anything else?'_

Cersei looked at her father and hesitated for a moment. She could hear Baelish's breathing over the phone, patiently waiting for her answer.

'I had a couple of smaller accidents in the past few years.' she blurted out. 'Ruptured ear drum, broken bones, mild concussion…'

' _So?'_ Baelish asked in a bored tone.

Cersei shot a nervous glance at her father before she explained.

'If Stannis could get his hands on my medical records, he could make up a story - you know how it is - about violence… in my marriage with Robert… It would give me a motive to kill him.'

There was an awkward silence on the other end of the line until the lawyer finally answered.

' _That is too far-fetched. He will need solid evidence before the hospital hands him over your medical records.'_

Cersei let out a relieved sigh.

'I think we are finished then. Thank you for your help, Petyr. Keep in touch.'

She hung up his father's phone and tossed it back to his side. Tywin picked it up without a word and put it in the inner pocket of his suit. Cersei followed his movements with her eyes until her gaze met with her father's.

'Would you like to ask me something?'

Her question remained hanging in the air. Cersei waited a moment, then she broke the eye contact.

'Let's go then. We shouldn't let the family wait for us all night.'

She rolled her chair to the end of the room and let her father open the door for her. She gave him one last look before they left, trying to read his unreadable expression.

 _Would it have changed anything if he had known?_


	6. Chapter 6

_Seven months later_

* * *

Cersei sat on the sofa with a blanket on her lap, watching the news with her younger brother.

 _JOHN_ : _'We are more than half year into the thick of this presidential race and we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.'_

 _CINDY: 'Are we though? I feel like we are just getting started.'_

 _JOHN: 'Yeah, but it's pretty much down to Cersei Lannister and Robb Stark now. Who could have predicted this a year ago?'_

'I would.' Tyrion remarked in a sarcastic tone and gave his sister a reproachful look.

'Please. How should I have known that Robb would be so pissed because I got his father deported?' she asked angrily. 'I mean he did embezzle campaign funds.'

'For you. To leave Robert.' her brother snorted in disdain.

Cersei shrugged. 'Details.'

She tugged a lock of her shoulder-length hair behind her ear and turned her attention back to the screen.

 _CINDY:_ ' _They were both dark horses in this race, but I wouldn't write down the others. There is Loras Tyrell, Balon Greyjoy, Walder Frey…'_

 _JOHN:'Walder Frey? Come on, Cindy.'_

 _CINDY: 'He was Finance Minister in the Targaryen government. He has experience.'_

 _JOHN: 'Oh, Cindy, you still have so much to learn about politics!_

'Asshole.' Cersei and Tyrion mumbled in the same time.

 _JOHN: 'Experience doesn't seem to play a big role in this year's election. People are disappointed in their government, in their politicians and they feel betrayed. They want new faces. Cersei Lannister Baratheon and Robb Stark are just lucky to run this year.'_

 _CINDY: 'It's hardly a coincidence.'_

 _JOHN: 'I don't say it is. Anyway, people don't forgive the Targaryen administration. Walder Frey's popularity is at an all time low. I don't think he will last long.'_

 _CINDY: 'If he dropped out of the race that would certainly improve Robb Stark chances to get the midland votes he needs so much.'_

 _JOHN: 'He is a bit down in the polls since his fiancée broke off the engagement because he was allegedly involved with another woman.'_

'And he got her pregnant.' Cersei added with a smug smile.

 _CINDY: 'And apparently that woman is now pregnant with his child.'_

Cersei nodded in satisfaction. 'Thank you.'

 _JOHN: 'Yeah, but could it cost him the presidency?'_

 _CINDY: 'I don't think so, but it's kind of fits his character. He is often reckless and impatient, he lashes out at his rallies and tries to undermine his opponents with personal attacks...'_

Tyrion snorted in amusement and glanced at his sister.'Looks like you have a fan.'

 _JOHN: 'It's a nasty campaign. Skeletons are just flying out of the candidates' closet. Robb is the young wolf. He is inexperienced and sometimes has a temper, so what?'_

 _CINDY: 'Stop the mansplaining, John. He is un-pre-si-den-tial.'_

Cersei gave her brother a look of appreciation. 'You have planted that idea in their head beautifully.'

'I know.' Tyrion remarked. 'You can't repeat it enough, though. Along with young, childish…'

His sister rolled her eyes. 'I know. He is a kid and I'm the responsible adult.'

 _JOHN: 'Maybe. But look what we have on the other side. Cersei Baratheon… or Lannister… she can't even decide on her name! The woman is not a politician. She was a singer for five minutes, fifteen years ago…'_

 _CINDY: 'The rains of Castamere is still a huge hit. It has become the unofficial anthem of the Casterly Lions.'_

Cersei shook her head in disbelief. 'Can't they stop with that nonsense? It was only a joke.'

 _JOHN: '… and she even quit that. Since then, she has been a housewife.'_

 _CINDY: 'She has a degree in law and history. And she comes from a great political dynasty. Her grandfather, her father and her husband were all in politics. Robert Baratheon could have been the next President. If it had turned out differently, we would probably talk about him right now.'_

 _JOHN: 'That was a terrible tragedy. And let's not forget, he was Tywin Lannister's candidate.'_

 _CINDY: 'That Tywin Lannister, who is owner of Lion Cars, the biggest automotive company in the States of Westeros and had been chief-of-staff to President Targarien in his first government.'_

 _JOHN: 'Yet, he is not rushing to support his daughter's campaign. He said and I quote: "I endorse her when I endorse her."'_

 _CINDY: 'I think he is just being tactical.'_

 _JOHN: 'Walder Frey can be tactical about his support after he drops out, or President Aerys Targaryen, but not Tywin Lannister. Not when it comes to his own daughter. Not having her family's support makes Cersei look weak.'_

Cersei turned off the TV with an angry grunt and turned to her brother.

'That's what I'm saying. He can't keep doing this. He will lose me this election.'

Tyrion shrugged. 'You know what he wants.'

'I won't offer Loras Tyrell a cabinet position.' Cersei hissed between her teeth.

She reached for a glass on the coffee table to pour some wine for herself, but she quickly pulled back her hand.

Her brother must have noted her aborted gesture because he furrowed his brows and gave her a suspicious look.

'So remind me again. What do you have against Loras Tyrell?' he asked after a moment of silence.

'Plenty.' Cersei remarked firmly.

Tyrion let out a smug smile. 'Please, elaborate.' he asked in a sarcastic tone.

'He is good friends with Margaery. I don't trust him.' Cersei folded her arms across her chest. 'And…'

'And?' her brother gave her a questioning look.

Cersei let out a frustrated sigh. 'I don't want Father and his business interests to dictate my politics.'

'Then, you won't have his endorsement.' Tyrion said with ease. He poured himself a glass of wine and took a sip. 'Robb Starks is already negotiating with Loras.'

'So?' his sister shrugged.

'Cersei, you need Loras more than Robb Stark does. You have seen the polls. You are not doing as good with the Millennials and the liberals as we hoped.' Tyrion explained and poured another drink.

Cersei frowned and pulled further from him.

'It was your stupid idea to be more progressive and broad-minded. It only alienated Robert's voters. Why should I listen to you now?'

Tyrion, as always, seemed to enjoy her anger because he couldn't hold back a scornful smile.

'I'm your campaign manager.' he stated matter-of-factly.

His sister rolled her eyes. 'Temporarily. Until I can get Dad's endorsement.'

Tyrion snorted in disdain. He took a sip of his drink and poured another glass to his sister. Cersei pretended to ignore his gesture and turned away.

'He is going to be late again.' she sighed.

As she rose from her seat, she suddenly felt dizzy. She had to grab the back of the sofa to steady herself until Tyrion handed her her lion head cane. She wobbled to the stairs and put her free hand on the rail.

'Tommen, come down. It's time to go to school.'

A few minutes later her son finally showed up, still wearing his pyjamas.

'What is this? I woke you up an hour ago. How can't you be ready yet?' his mother asked in disbelief.

'I don't want to go.' the young boy whined.

'Sweetheart, I let you stay home yesterday. We both know you were not sick.' Cersei remarked softly.

Tommen frowned. 'Myrcell doesn't have to go. Why should I?'

His mother gave him a surprised look.

'Of course, Myrcella has to go too. Boarding school is just like any other schools.'

'How do you know that?' Tommen sulked. 'Maybe she can stay in her room whole day, eating ice cream and watching TV.'

Cersei snorted in amusement.

'Trust me, I don't pay a fortune for her school to let her eat junk and watch princess movies. I can guarantee you she didn't miss a single day since she is there.

Her son didn't seem satisfied. He pulled away from her hug and sat down on the stairs in protest. Cersei let out a frustrated sigh and sat beside him.

'What is going on?' she gave him a questioning look, but Tommen turned away to hide his face from her.

'Nothing.' he mumbled.

His mother pressed a kiss on his head, then grabbed the handle of her cane and got to her feet.

'Then go and get dressed.' she said in a firm voice.

Tommen lowered his eyes and shook his head. 'No.'

Cersei raised her eyebrows in surprise.

'Do you remember what happened when Joffrey did this? Your father threw him over his shoulder and put him in the car whether he wanted or not.' she remarked with mock ease. 'Guess what. Gregor knows that trick too.'

She only meant it as a warning, but her son got stubborn so she had to act on her threat. Tommen was kicking and screaming, but he was no match for Gregor.

After the elevator closed behind them, Tyrion let out a small chuckle.

'Mother of the year.' he remarked with a scornful tone.

Cersei shot him a deadly glare.

'What do you know about mothers other than killing them?' she hissed angrily, but this time her brother didn't let her get away with it.

Tyrion rushed out of the room and headed for the elevator. He kept pushing the button, but the door didn't open.

'It looks like you stuck with me.' his sister remarked with a triumphant smile when she finally caught up with him.

Tyrion turned around to face her.

'You can't call me mom's murderer every time you fancy.' he burst out in a frustrated cry.

'And you can't call me a bad mother.' Cersei replied with the same level of intensity.

* * *

As always, Tywin Lannister had it his way. He pressured his daughter into a meeting with Loras Tyrell in exchange for a large contribution to her campaign and his official support. Little did he know that Cersei had her own plans for the young man.

The two candidates decided to meet at a restaurant downtown for lunch. Cersei looked around the place with an ill-concealed frown as the waiter showed her to their table.

'No, the cane stays.' she snapped at him when he tried to take it with her coat.

She shook her head in disbelief. 'Who chose this place?' she mumbled to herself.

'That would be me. It's the best vegetarian restaurant in town.'

Cersei looked up to see the young man in front of her and forced a smile.

'Cersei Lannister.' she extended her hand.

Loras Tyrell returned the gesture and they shook hands.

'A vegetarian farmer. That's something interesting.' Cersei remarked casually.

Loras let out a chuckle.

'We only keep the livestock to produce dairy products. We don't kill animals.'

' _What a waste.'_ Cersei thought, but she didn't say anything.

She hid her face behind her menu and studied what appeared to be the most awful selection of foods. Just reading about all the sea food made her nauseous.

After the waiter came and took their order, they didn't talk much. Cersei reached for her phone to make the silence less awkward when Loras finally spoke.

'Your father told me…'

'Nobody cares what my father told you.' Cersei abruptly interrupted him. 'It's not my father who is running for President. What did Robb Stark promise you?'

Loras was a bit taken aback by her directness, but it didn't distract him.

'Foreign Affairs' he remarked with ill-concealed pride in his voice.

Cersei almost gasped, but she managed to keep a perfect poker face. 'Not bad. But my offer is better.'

Loras put down the glass he was holding and gave her his full attention.

'I'm listening.'

'I'm willing to put you on the ticket.' Cersei replied with a serious tone.

'VP.' Loras tasted the word as if it was an expensive wine. He gave her an appreciative nod. 'That is a start. But it is not enough.'

Cersei's hands clenched into a fist under the table, but she forced another polite smile.

'I would be disappointed in you if it was.' she replied in a seductive voice. She leaned forward on the table, setting her forearms on it and looked straight into Loras' eyes. 'Look. We can negotiate about milk quotas, import taxes, or the agricultural subsidy system all day long, as I presume you did with Robb Stark, or I can give you what your heart truly desires.'

'What would that be?' Loras scoffed in amusement.

'Marriage equality. For every consenting adult.' Cersei stated with a triumphant smile. 'You could marry the man you love.'

Loras' eyes widened in shock.

'You mean… every member of the LGBTQ community…" he stuttered.

Cersei couldn't hide her satisfaction over his reaction. 'Every consenting adult.' she repeated.

'Yeah, I get it.' Loras replied, nodding in approval. 'Just don't say it like this. It sounds like you mean _every_ person. Like for example family members. Fathers and daughters, brothers and sisters, mothers and sons…'

'Sisters and sisters, aunts and nephews, brothers and brothers.' Cersei finished his list with a knowing smile.

Loras needed a few moments to realize that she wasn't joking.

'You can't be serious. That's insane!' he cried angrily.

'There are people who disapprove _your_ lifestyle. 'Cersei remarked with a hint of resentment in her voice. 'But I think everyone deserves a chance. Besides, what doesn't involve you, shouldn't concern you.'

Loras took a sip of his wine and shook his head in disbelief. 'I wouldn't have taken you to be so open-minded. Unless… What do you gain from this?'

Cersei didn't flinch. 'My support of marriage equality won't make me popular among my late husband's voters. They are my base voters and they already think I'm too liberal. I will lose their votes so I need to get those back from somewhere else. President Targaryen agreed to endorse me if I extend the marriage equality act to family members.'

The waiter appeared with their orders and put down a large plate before each of them. Cersei looked inside hers with a disgusted frown. It smelled like stagnant sea water with seaweed and dead fish in it and something suggested it wasn't just a coincidence.

Cersei took the lion head cane and rose from her seat. _She would burn the whole place to the ground before she ate that._ She dropped her napkin on the table and gave Loras a meaningful look.

'Think about my offer.' she said. 'But don't take too long. You won't get any better than that.'


	7. Chapter 7

**A.N. Sorry for keep you waiting, here is the next chapter. As always, thanks for the reviews. :)**

* * *

Cersei was sitting in a limousine on her way to a rally, this time at her former university, and she finally had some time to video call her daughter in boarding school.

'Hi, Mom!' Myrcella smiled at her from the screen. 'Can I call you back? Lisa's mom is taking us for ice cream.'

The smile disappeared from Cersei's face and a frown took its place.

'I'm running for president. I'm sure my schedule is a bit busier than yours. Lisa's mom can wait for five minutes.'

'Okay.' Myrcella agreed, but she kept nervously looking behind to see if her friends were still there waiting for her.

Cersei shook her head disapprovingly, but she decided to let it go.

'How was your week? Did you make it to the swimming team?'

A huge grin spread across her daughter's face. 'I sure did. I had the second best time.' she boasted.

'Second best? That's great. I'm proud of you.' Cersei remarked with a smile.

'Do you think I should have won?' Myrcella asked uncertainly.

'You have the whole season to win. It will keep you motivated.' Cersei said with ease.

Her daughter looked behind her back to check on her friends, then turned back to the screen. 'What about you?'

Cersei shrugged.'I still hate the road.'

'But you are campaigning for yourself now, not for Dad. That must be better.' Myrcella remarked in a soft voice.

Her mother didn't want to bore her with further details so she decided to change the subject.

'Listen, I want to show you something.'

'What is it?' Myrcella asked eagerly.

Cersei made sure that the partition was pulled up between her and the driver, then she looked back at her daughter with a knowing smile.

'I'm sending you now. It's a video. Did you get it?'

Myrcella nodded and clicked on the video with a curious look. Cersei could see the concentration in her eyes as she tried to figure out what she was looking at. The sound of tiny heartbeats echoed from the screen and Cersei instinctively put her free hand on her stomach.

'Is this…' Myrcella's eyes widened with the sudden realization. 'Is it yours?'

'Yes.' her mother replied proudly. 'You and your brother are going to have a new sibling.'

Happiness was written all over Myrcella's face. 'When can I see him? Or her? Is it a boy or a girl?'

Cersei couldn't hold back a satisfied smile because her daughter reacted just the way she had expected.

'It's too early to tell.' she explained to Myrcella. 'By the time you come home next month, we'll probably know more. You can come to the doctor with me if you want to.'

'Yes, yes, yes!' Myrcella cried out in ecstasy. 'Mom, I want to go home now! Does Tommen know?'

Cersei shook her head.

'No one else knows. Just you.'

'Just me?' her daughter asked in surprise.

'Just you.' Cersei repeated. 'And I would like to keep it that way. So please delete the video right now and don't talk to anyone about this. All right?'

Myrcella tried to protest, but her mother's serious expression squelched her desire to argue.

A few moments later, the car slowed down and finally stopped. Cersei looked out the window and saw her younger brother standing on the sidewalk with a yellow umbrella.

'I have to go, darling' she turned back to her daughter. 'Take care. I love you.'

'I love you too, Mom. Bye!' Myrcella replied, then her smiling face disappeared from Cersei's phone.

* * *

'I'm still not sure about this.' Cersei frowned as she was walking the old college hallways with her brothers. 'I have Loras now. Why isn't he the one out there chasing the Millenials?'

'He is. But it never hurts if you are trying to score some points with young people as well.' Tyrion remarked with ease.

'Score some points or completely humiliate myself?' Cersei scoffed.

Her brother rolled his eyes. 'You and Jaime were rock stars.'

'For five minutes. We only had this one song.' Jaime interrupted him while he pushed a door open for them.

'Still, it would be stupid not to use it to get votes.' his brother followed him inside.

They were in the backstage. Tyrion sat on an unused amplifier while his sister leaned against the wall, biting her nails and listening to the noise of the crowd from the great hall. Jaime was standing between them, trying rather clumsily to adjust the strap of his bass guitar on his shoulder.

'Can you even play at all?' Cersei furrowed her brows.

'It's gonna be fine, don't worry.' her twin smiled reassuringly, but his attention suddenly turned to something next to his sister. Cersei followed his gaze and noticed a young man standing in the door leading to the stage.

'Who are you?' she snapped.

'Oliver Frey. I'll be playing the drums.' the student replied, a bit surprised by her rude tone.

'You better be good. I'll remember your face if you are not.'

Oliver, visibly shocked, replied with a quick nod.

'She is joking.' Tyrion said in mock ease and Cersei feigned a smile.

She exchanged a quick look with her twin brother, then followed Oliver to the stage.

* * *

'It's good to be back!' Cersei cried, with mock enthusiasm, once she got behind the microphone. She waited for the loud cheering to quiet down. 'I'm supposed to talk to you about my educational and health care reform plans, tax cuts and women's rights, and all the other things I usually talk about at my rallies; then answering any of your questions regarding my policies… But being here, once again on this stage, reminds me of an other question people keep asking me for fifteen years: Who are the Reynes of Castamere?'

The crowd hailed her words with loud cheering and shouting, which made Cersei pause for a moment.

'Vote for me and you'll know. Let this be the first promise I will keep when I'm elected President.'

Howls of disappointment swept through the great hall and Cersei had to admit that she had underestimated the power of one stupid song.

'I can do one thing though.' she feigned excitement in her voice 'Since my brother, Jaime happens to be here today, we decided to mark this occasion with the second ever live performance of _The_ _Rains of Castamere_!'

She looked to the side of the stage and waived her brother to come up. Oliver had already been at his place behind the drums, waiting for her sign to start.

'This is for you, Robb Stark!' Cersei cried into the mic while her brother began playing the first notes of the song.

She didn't enjoy it, just like she didn't enjoy it the last time. It was only because Jaime had lost a bet that they had entered the Battle of Bands in the first place. They had never expected it to go this far.

Cersei looked around the great hall full of ecstatic students, shouting the lyrics with her, and the horrible events of that night fifteen years ago came rushing to her mind. Her eyes looked for Jaime's for reassurance and her brother gave her a cool smile. Cersei lowered her mic and stepped a few steps back to let him enjoy his solo.

She couldn't hold back an absent smile as she watched him. For a second he even made her forget how much she hated to be there.

The students were crazy about the surprise concert.

' _But now the rains…'_

they sang along and Cersei could barely hear her own voice from theirs.

'… _weep over his hall with no one there to hear.'_

they chanted in choir repeatedly, even after the song was over and the music stopped.

' _Yes, now the rains weep over his hall with not a soul to hear.'_

Cersei couldn't wait to leave the stage and get some fresh air. She instinctively went to the one place she had gone the last time. The dumpsters. Except this time, she was alone in the heavy rain. The irony was not lost on her. Cersei retreated to the side of the building to protect her expensive coat and skirt from being wet.

She stood there for a while, leaning against the brick wall with her eyes closed, listening to the sound of the rain.

The approaching footsteps almost made her jump. She shot her eyes open and saw her brothers standing in front of her. Jaime quickly stepped closer and held his umbrella over her head.

'Where all the magic happens. The world-famous dumpsters. I can only imagine the sorts of things that went on out here.' Tyrion remarked, amused.

Cersei gave him a look of sheer contempt, but Jaime just laughed.

'It depends on what kind of things you are imagining.' he said with ease.

His twin sister poked him with her elbow.

'Let's go.'

It was already too late though. Tyrion picked up on something and now he acted like a dog on a scent.

'Why the rush? Do you have some bad memories?' he asked with a scornful grin, looking from one sibling to the other.

Cersei's face turned into a painful grimace that didn't escape her twin brother's attention.

'Let's call the staff and go home.' Jaime remarked firmly.

He tried to put his arm around his sister to comfort her, but Cersei pulled away. She was now determined to tell the truth to Tyrion.

'This is where everything started, little brother.' she said in a mock-solemn tone. 'The reason we are all here right now, acting like fools instead of lions, to make me the President of the Seven States of Westeros.'

'You chose the perfect spot.' Tyrion took a look around and snorted in amusement. 'A great metaphor for the state of our country. Reeking from corruption and overflowing with garbage.'

'And Lyanna Stark's blood.' his sister added casually. 'This is where the stupid bitch slit her throat in front of me. Right there where you are standing.' she pointed her cane at the shoes of her younger brother. 'She was high on drugs just as usual when I told her I had slept with Robert.'

Tyron listened to his sister's story with a puzzled expression up to that point, but suddenly his campaign manager self came forward. 'Does anyone know about this?'

Cersei shook her head.'I only told Jaime. He sent me home and then… took care of it.'

'I told the police that I was the one who found Lyanna, but she had been already dead by the time I arrived.' Jaime explained to his brother's questioning look. 'She was a junkie. No one cared.'

'The Stark family would beg to differ.' Tyrion mumbled.

Cersei rolled her eyes. No matter how much she hated her brother, she couldn't believe he was taking the Starks' side.

'She only killed herself to ruin my life.' she scoffed. 'Robert wouldn't have given a shit that he got me pregnant. He would have never married me if Lyanna had been alive, no matter how much Father paid him or threatened him.'

Tyrion looked up and gave her a surprised look. 'You were pregnant? I didn't know.'

'Why do you think we had to marry in such a hurry?' his sister hissed in a sarcastic voice.

'Thank goodness, you lost the baby. That miscarriage was a blessing.' Jaime remarked followed by a soft chuckle.

His siblings stared at him in shock and disgust.

'How can you say that?' Cersei cried, outraged. 'I sacrificed _everything_ for that child. My career, my future, my dignity. Lyanna Stark killed all of those things, just as she killed Joffrey, when she cursed me to a life with Robert.'

Her brothers seemed surprised by her sudden outburst. For a moment, none of them seemed to know what to say, then Tyrion broke the silence.

'That sounds like a bit of an overstatement.' he said matter-of-factly.

Cersei snorted in disdain. _What does he know about anything?_ She ignored her brother's remark and continued in a cold, emotionless tone.

'Robert has never stopped grieving for her. Not for a second.' she tried to remain calm, but after all those years her anger was still too strong. 'Lyanna was a corpse and I was a living girl, and he loved her more than me.'

She spat on the ground with the full force of her hatred.

'I pray to God that she is rotting in hell.'

She stepped away from the wall she was leaning against and made her way to her limousine, accompanied by the rhythmic tapping of her cane.


	8. Chapter 8

**A.N. Sorry for the delay, I have been very busy lately, but the new chapter is finally ready :)**

* * *

Cersei was already sitting in the makeup chair, preparing for her live debate with Robb Stark when she noticed in the mirror her younger brother approaching with a troubled expression.

'Leave.' she ordered the makeup girl without hesitation. Once the girl was gone, she turned to her brother. 'What's wrong?'

'Someone leaked a tape.' Tyrion remarked with a frown. 'A tape of a drunken Robert, talking about you at a dinner party nine years ago. It's all over the news.'

Cersei rolled her eyes. 'Perfect timing.' she hissed angrily. 'What is he saying?'

'It's best if I show you.' her brother sighed and handed his phone to her. It showed a news feed from moments ago that was stopped in the middle. Cersei hesitated for a moment, then hit the play button.

'… _career with good money, a hot wife, two kids, the third one is on the way… How are you doing it?'_

Cersei recognized Ben Stark's voice. There was a short pause with only indistinct conversation from the background, then Robert finally replied.

' _I don't know. The bitch gets pregnant every time I look at her.'_

Cersei gave back her brother his phone. 'That's it?'

'Yeah.' Tyrion nodded. 'I think we should cancel the debate.'

'No way.' his sister protested. 'I'll handle it.'

'How? We built your whole campaign on Robert. On your perfect marriage, your perfect family. What could you possibly say to the people now?' Tyrion asked in frustration.

'It's edited. They edited the tape to manipulate the voters.' Cersei got up, which made her brother have to look up to her.

'Of course they did! But what does that change? Your husband called you a bitch. The only way for you to get out of this is to tell the truth about Robert.' Tyrion suggested.

Her sister reached for her cane and started pacing the small room up and down.

'And hoping for sympathy votes? It would be a suicide.' Cersei hissed angrily. 'I will defend Robert. His words were taken out of context. I can turn this around.'

Her brother followed her with his eyes. 'I'm sure Robb Stark will have a thing or two to say about this. He won't let you off the hook so easily.'

Cersei furrowed her eyebrows. 'But he should. His parents were there at that dinner party. Robb can't use this tape against me. It would be stupid, even for him.'

Tyrion climbed into the empty makeup chair and spinned it around. 'It wouldn't if he used it to distance himself from his father and his friendship with Robert Baratheon.'

Cersei wanted to argue, but a firm knock on the door interrupted her. She looked at her brother who looked back at her with a frown.

'Come in.' Tyrion cried.

To Cersei's surprise, it was her opponent standing in the doorway.

'Did you come to check out if my dressing room is bigger than yours?' she asked in a scornful tone. 'What can I do for you, Robb?'

Robb Stark rolled his eyes. 'Mrs. Baratheon.'

'It's Ms. Lannister now.' Cersei corrected him.

'My parents are… or were friends with you. That's why I'm here out of niceness, giving you a warning.' Robb continued in a firm voice. 'Tell your kids to turn off the TV if you don't want them to know the truth about their father.'

'Aren't you sweet to worry about my children?' Cersei pretended to be amused by his words.

She exchanged a quick glance with her brother, who then cleared his throat.

'You are trying to play mind games with my sister just minutes before the debate.' Tyrion stated, unimpressed. 'We know about the tape. It wouldn't be wise for you to use though, considering your parents…'

'It's not about the tape.' Robb remarked with a sneer. 'This is something much bigger. This will end your political career, Mrs. Baratheon.'

Cersei opened her mouth to say something, but Robb had already turned around and left the room.

'Do you still think we shouldn't cancel the debate?' she heard her brother's voice behind her.

* * *

The debate was going on for more than an hour and Robb Stark still didn't bring up his surprise discovery about Robert Baratheon. However, Cersei was afraid she already knew it all too well. The excruciating pain of waiting was doubled by the pain in her legs. She has gotten used to them hurting since the surgery, but she was clearly not meant to stand on them in high heels for three hours.

'What would be more important than our future? But I guess you don't care about your children's future as much as you say.'

Robb Stark's words were followed by loud cheers from his supporters in the audience and Cersei could barely hold back an eye roll.

'I ask you one more time, not to make my underage children part of the discussion.' she remarked in a firm voice. 'But to answer your question: I care more about the present than the future. And I'm sure that many people agree with me when I say that we have more pressing issues. Climate change and other fairy tales can wait until we have dealt with them.'

To Cersei's satisfaction, her future voters were not short on shouts and clapping either when it came to voice their support.

'Excuse me. Did you just call climate change a fairy tale?' her opponent annoying voice interrupted her little celebration.

'See? That's what you are doing, Senator Stark. You cling into a word I say and try to shift the focus from _what_ I'm saying to _how_ I'm saying it.' Cersei gave Robb a look of contempt. 'If you just listened…'

The young senator couldn't stand still. His fingers were nervously tapping on the top of his podium 'You can't just say a thing like that and go on like nothing has…' he began, but he got silenced.

'Let Ms. Lannister finish.' the moderator said in a firm voice.

Robb Stark, however, couldn't let it go. 'By all means. Please, I'd love to hear what Ms. Lannister thinks more important than the future of our planet.

Cersei couldn't hold back a scornful smile witnessing how her opponent was condemning himself with his temperament.

'Right now our most important task is to create jobs and fight domestic terrorism.'

Once again, Robb didn't let her finish. 'Creating jobs? Let me guess. By continuing to give tax benefits for big companies that are the greatest polluters, not just in this country but in the whole world. But of course we understand why you don't want to speak against them since your own father's company is known to disregard the environmental protocols for decades now in order to reach bigger profit.'

'And that bigger profit makes it possible to provide work for hundreds of thousands of people.' Cersei interrupted the more and more frustrated young Stark. 'Lion Cars has over half a million employees and this number will only grow if we help, instead of enforcing regulations these companies can't possibly comply with.'

Robb wanted to reply, but the moderator decided to move on.

'Ms. Lannister, you mentioned domestic terrorism as another important issue our country is facing. How would you handle the Dornish radicals? Can you imagine Dorne become an independent country in the future?'

'Absolutely not. Dorne is one of the seven states of Westeros and it will remain so.' Cersei replied firmly. 'Dornish people have equal rights, but also equal duties in this country just as every other citizen. And let's make something clear right here, right now: the Sand Snakes are not a political movement. They are a group of terrorists who are threatening the peace of this country and as such they deserve the full force of the law to be brought down on them.'

The endless applauding signed that a lot of members of the audience shared her views. Some people began cheering and chanting curse words to show their anger towards the Sand Snakes.

The moderator tried to silence them, but with no avail.

'Senator Stark, what are your thoughts?' he shouted through the noise.

'I think that we can't dismiss a large group of unsatisfied people with one word.' Robb Stark cried even louder, which his supporters rewarded with applauds. 'We can't call all of them terrorists just because there are extremists among them. The majority of the Dornish people is against violence. For me it is very important to keep an open mind and maintain the possibility of a peaceful negotiation. After all, it's in neither of our interest to stay in a bad marriage.'

The Lannister supporters booed loudly to express their discontent and Cersei couldn't help comparing the debate to a football match between the _Direwolves_ and the _Casterly Lions_. All that was lacking was someone to start singing The Rains of Castamere.

'Ms. Lannister, would you like to respond?' the moderator's voice dragged her out of her thoughts.

'Senator Stark seems to know so much about a bad marriage, whereas he couldn't even go through with his own.' Cersei remarked with ease.

She was ready with those comebacks for a long time, but so was Robb Stark.

'I can't argue with that.' her opponent replied with a fake smile. 'I'm sure Ms. Lannister is an expert on the subject since she was in a bad marriage for fifteen years.'

The audience gasped in shock and Cersei also feigned surprise. 'Beg your pardon?'

'We have heard on the tape… You can't deny it." Robb stepped away from his podium and leaned his back against its side.

The moderator seemed relieved that someone before him brought up the subject.

'For those who just turned on their TV, let's quickly sum up the situation.' he interrupted the two arguing candidates. 'Minutes before this debate our news channel got a leaked tape that we felt obligated to share with the public. On this tape we can hear former presidential candidate, Robert Baratheon calling his wife and I quote a _bitch_. Ms. Lannister, would you agree to talk about the tape for a bit?'

Cersei took a sip from the glass of water that was prepared for her on the podium.

'If you insist.' she tried to remain as calm as she could. Luckily, her father's and Tyrion's lessons finally paid off. 'It's obviously out of context. My husband only meant that as a joke and if we could hear the rest of the tape, there would be no doubt about that.'

Robb Stark shook his head in disbelief.

'What kind of man jokes with something like that?' he asked with overacted indignation. 'Robert Baratheon was a violent man and not just in words. Several women claimed that he had slept with them and often beat them up afterwards.'

'These are lies. You are simply lying.' Cersei protested, trying to talk down the Stark supporters.

Robb Stark gave her a quick, scornful smile no one else saw, before he continued with a serious expression. 'His own wife was a victim of his abuse too.'

The large auditorium got quiet for a moment.

Finally, Cersei broke the silence.

'I wasn't victim of anything, thank you.' she snapped at her opponent. 'But I must say it's very convenient for you, Senator Stark, to spread lies about a dead man who can't defend himself. Not to mention that my husband was your father's best friend.'

At that point the sports game feeling became complete as the Lannister supporters indeed began chanting the lyrics of The Rains of Castamere. And just like from the games, the troublemakers ended up being banned.

'Senator Stark, do you have any proof of what you have just said?' the moderator asked after the audience got silent.

'According to the King's Landing Memorial Hospital's records, Ms. Lannister visited the ER sixteen times in the past five years with various types of injuries.' Robb remarked triumphantly.

Without her loudest supporters, all eyes were on Cersei, who had to seem very confident if she wanted to survive this latest attack from her opponent.

'I doubt your mother is very proud of you right now, Senator.' she remarked scornfully, then turned to the audience. 'I only dignify to respond to these ridiculous lies because I don't want my children stay awake at night thinking that their father was a terrible person.

The moderator nodded. 'So you are denying Senator Stark's allegations towards your late husband.'

'Yes. Robert would have never hurt me or his children.' Cersei said in a steady voice.

Her remaining supporters applauded her. It wasn't enough though.

'Maybe not his children, but…' Robb Stark continued and Cersei knew that it was the moment of truth.

She had to act quickly. _The best defence is a good offence._

'But what? What's coming next? That they are not even his children?

It was a huge risk, but she had to take it. And it worked. Her opponent was speechless.

'You are so good at fiction, Robb, you should consider writing your own TV show.' she cried out with ill-concealed joy. 'Why not call it _The Cersei Lannister Horror Story_? In the meantime, I'm going to stay in the real world and make our country safer and better for all of us.'


	9. Chapter 9

**A.N. Sorry for keep you waiting for so long, but I'm very busy these days. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. :)**

* * *

'Where is she?' Cersei rushed through the hospital corridor to meet her twin brother.

Jaime tried to put his arms around her, which only made her more nervous.

'Where is she?' she repeated her question more urgently.

'She is in surgery.' her brother had guilt and worry written all over his face. 'It happened so fast. We were already in the car park. I put her bags in the trunk when that woman passed us, then turned around and shot her.'

'Shot her?' Cersei couldn't process the words she had just heard.

Jaime was supposed to pick up Myrcella from the airport and text her when they got home. Instead, she only got a message to come to the hospital as soon as possible. She was in the middle of a speech at a rally and Tyrion, who had her phone while she was up on the stage, dragged her down and made her leave.

While they were on their way, she heard on the radio some news about a shooting at the airport, but she didn't think for a moment it could have anything to do with Myrcella.

'How?' she tried desperately to find some reassurance in her twin brother's eyes, but he lowered them to avoid her gaze.

His cowardness made Cersei angry and gave her the strength to ask the ultimate question. 'How could this happen? How could you not protect her?'

Jaime looked up in surprise and Cersei saw the same anger mirrored on his face.

'The same way you couldn't protect Joffrey.' her brother hissed bitterly.

He didn't try to hug her anymore, not that Cersei would have wanted it.

'How dare you?' she screamed and slapped him hard across the face. She wanted to scratch out his eyes, but Jaime grabbed her arm with his prosthetic hand.

Her skin turned white under his grasp and Tyrion finally intervened.

'Stop it.' he cried as he attempted to separate them. 'Blaming each other won't help Myrcella.'

Jaime let go of his twin sister who hissed in pain.

'I'm sorry, Cersei. I tried to push her away, but it was too late.'

Cersei quietly nodded. 'It's all right. She is alive. She'll be all right.'

But she wasn't. Cersei could see it as soon as they brought her out of surgery. She couldn't take her eyes off of her as the doctor told them about the operation. They managed to remove the bullet from Myrcella's head, but apparently she had lost so much blood that she got into a coma.

Cersei was watching her daughter who looked like a mummy with the bandage wrapped around her whole head. Myrcella's long blond hair was shaved, just like hers before her surgery only a year ago. Only a year ago when Joffrey died.

'But she'll wake up, right?' Jaime's words dragged Cersei out of her thoughts.

'We hope for the best, but we don't know.' the doctor said, not hiding his concern.

'What do you mean you don't know?' Cersei snapped at him. 'You are her doctor.'

'We needed the surgery to save your daughter's life, Ms. Lannister. Of course, we'll continue to monitor her and run some tests when we think it's safe. But I don't want to give you false hope. With a brain injury like this… If she doesn't wake up within the next few days or weeks, the chances of her regaining consciousness are very slim. Even if she does, you have to be prepared for serious brain damage.'

A heavy silence fell on the room after the doctor left.

Cersei was sitting at Myrcella's bedside, looking at her twin brother from the corner of her eyes as he was pacing the room up and down.

'He can't talk like that! He can't just give up on Myrcella. Isn't he sworn to heal people?' Jaime cried out angrily.

Cersei didn't listen to him. She was deep in her own thoughts.

'Three of Swords.' she mumbled. 'Three times your heart cries out in joy, three times it's pierced by swords.'

'What?' Jaime asked in surprise.

'The prophecy, Jaime. She told me not to have children, but I didn't listen to her.' his sister replied and tears came streaming down her face. 'She promised me I would lose all of them.'

She shouldn't have talked about the prophecy in front of Tyrion, but it was too late.

'Who told you that?' he asked with a frown.

He looked between his siblings with an expectant look until Jaime broke the silence.

'Do you remember that travelling circus that used to come to Lannisport when we were kids? Cersei and I snuck out one time to see them. I was there for the magic show, but Cersei went to the fortune-teller who said some horrible things to her.' Jaime explained with ease.'Father probably found out that we were gone and punished us by paying that woman to scare Cersei.'

'It seems to have worked pretty well. A childhood trauma that would haunt her for life.' Tyrion remarked sarcastically.

'It's not a childhood trauma.' Cersei snapped at her brother.'Don't you get it? It's all coming true. First, I married the Devil. Then, I had three children, but none of them were his. And now I'm losing them all, one by one.'

Her brothers exchanged a quick look that didn't escape her notice.

Suddenly she had a bad feeling. 'Where is Tommen?'

'I sent Gregor for him. He'll be here soon. Don't worry.' Tyrion remarked softly.

Cersei turned back her attention to Myrcella. 'She is nothing like me.' she remarked quietly as she touched her cheek over the bandage. 'She has always been so sweet, so kind. I don't know where she came from. No meanness, no jealousy, just good.'

She put a hand over her mouth, but it couldn't stop the loud sobs that broke from her. Jaime stepped closer and held her tight for a while until they heard someone enter the room.

At Cersei's shock it was their father. How he could get there from Casterly so fast was a mystery. Cersei tried to wipe off her tears and clean her face, but her weak attempt only made things worse. Her fingertips became black from the smudged makeup and she could tell her face didn't look prettier either. But Tywin Lannister couldn't care less about her appearance right now.

It was a pleasant surprise as Cersei half expected him to be there to force her to talk about politics, or more specifically the future of her presidential candidature. But instead, her father just walked over to Myrcella's bed without a word and pressed a kiss on her forehead.

'She is a Lannister. She'll get through this.' Tywin stated in a firm voice before he turned back to his daughter. 'In the meantime, wash your face and try to get some sleep. We are going fishing tomorrow.'

* * *

'Are you sure you want to do this? You don't have to go with him right now. You can stay here with your daughter.' Jaime remarked the next morning after he returned with a change of clothes for her.

Cersei pressed a quick kiss on his lips, then walked over to her son who was sleeping in an armchair and gently rubbed his cheek.

'It's all right. I'll be back soon. Call me when Tommen wakes up. Or Myrcella...'

Her father was already waiting for her in the car. As soon as Cersei got in, he started the engines. They were sitting quietly in the car for a while until Tywin broke the silence.

'Do you know who did it?' he asked without taking his eyes off the road.

'A Dornish radical.' Cersei sighed. 'She is a leading member of the Sand Snakes.'

Her father acknowledged her words with a nod.

'She came after you because of what you had said at the debate.' he remarked matter-of-factly.

Cersei didn't want to think of that. The thought of Myrcella lying helplessly in that hospital bed and knowing that it was her fault in any way, broke her heart. She needed to focus on something else if she didn't want to burst out in tears in front of her father.

'Why are you taking me fishing? You have never done it before. You only took Jaime.' she remarked curiously.

Tywin shrugged his shoulders.

'I told you I would take you once you can sit still for an hour. You never could.'

Cersei shot him an angry glance.

'But now that my daughter is in a coma, it seems like I just needed the right motivation to pass your test.' she hissed between her teeth.

Her father didn't seem offended.

'That is not why you are here.' he said casually.

Cersei rolled her eyes. 'Of course not.'

* * *

'So what do I do?' Cersei asked after her father parked the car by the lake and gave her a fishing rod.

Tywin took out his own rod and showed her how to cast it into the water. Cersei tried to repeat his movements over and over again until she finally succeeded.

They were sitting there for more than an hour and Cersei was getting bored. She began to write a text to Jaime when her father cleared his throat.

'I took you out here to talk about the presidential race.'

'I figured that much.' Cersei mumbled with a sigh and put her phone down. 'So speak.'

Tywin seemed a bit taken aback by his daughter's attitude, but he didn't let himself to be distracted.

'I understand you must be upset right now, but you shouldn't quit.' he remarked in a firm voice.

'Those murderous Dornish terrorists seem to think otherwise. Their message was very clear.' Cersei hissed angrily.

Her father got up from his chair to adjust his fishing rod, then he stepped closer to his daughter.

'They just handed you this election. It wouldn't be smart to throw away this chance. ' he explained matter-of-factly. 'The attack against Myrcella will get you what you have worked for fifteen years. It will make you President.'

Her father's words made Cersei nauseous. 'Not if my children's life is the price.'

'Being the President is the only way you can protect them. The only way you can get revenge on those who would try to hurt them.' her father replied without thinking.

All of a sudden, her fishing rod started to shake and Cersei had to jump up to grab it before it slipped into the water.

'Your first fish. Not bad.' Tywin gave her a proud look after she pulled it to the shore. 'Now put it out of its misery.'

Cersei didn't listen to him. She couldn't take her eyes off of the dying animal. The sight of the squirming fish, struggling for its life seemed somehow familiar. It reminded her of that terrible day in the car with Joffrey. The way he was fighting for his last breaths as she was holding him in her arms, not able to help him…

'Cersei.' she heard her father's voice.

She shook her head to dismiss the horrible memory and looked away from the fish. It was barely breathing now. Cersei hesitated a bit, then raised her foot and stepped on it. The stiletto heel of her shoe pierced through the fish's cold, disgusting eye, immediately killing the miserable thing.

Her father was right. She didn't want to be helpless and powerless ever again, unable to protect her children.

'Let's get back to the city.' Cersei turned to her father. 'I can't lose another day of campaigning.'


	10. Chapter 10

**A.N. Thanks for reading and leaving reviews, here is the next chapter. Enjoy! :)**

* * *

'… and this most recent attack on my daughter's life showed me more clearly what my duty is. What our duty is. We have to fight back. We need to be united against those who want to destroy us and take down this great country. Join me in this fight and let's tell the Sand Snakes together that they can't scare us. The Dornish men and women are the ones who should be afraid, because we are coming for them! They can't keep threatening our life, our children's life. Yesterday they came after mine, tomorrow they will come after yours. But not on my watch. I will burn their houses down before I let that happen. You still have a few hours to vote. You know I'm the right choice. Vote for me now. Thank you.'

The crowd burst out in loud cheering and clapping as soon as Cersei finished her last campaign speech.

'That went well.' Tyrion remarked with a confident smile as his sister stepped off the stage.

'Did it?' Cersei wasn't so sure. 'They are angry. That is… something I guess.' she sighed. 'What about Robb Stark? How did his last speech go?'

'The usual. Mild success.' Tyrion seemed satisfied. 'He was on and on about love and peace. Hardly efficient after someone tried to murder a little girl who also happens to be his opponent's kid. The whole country is on fire. They want blood.'

Cersei nodded in agreement.

Unfortunately, her other brother wasn't so enthusiastic.

'You worked them up against the Dornish people. You said you would only go after the radicals, but you make all of them look like criminals.' Jaime welcomed them with his outburst when they got back to their campaign headquarters.

'So I lied.' Cersei shrugged.

But her twin didn't let it go. 'You made a target of millions of innocent people.'

'Who cares. I will do a lot worse once I'm elected President.' Cersei said with ease.

'You're insane.' Jaime hissed angrily.

Cersei closed the door of her office behind them and sat on the huge sofa. Tyrion stayed downstairs with the staffers and lobbyists for some last minute campaigning so it was just the two of them.

'Jaime…' Cersei called him softly. 'You know I do it for us. For our family.'

Her brother shook his head in disbelief. 'You will get us all killed. You know they will come after the children.'

'They already did.' Cersei cried out angrily. 'And I was powerless to do anything. Now I have four armed guards to follow Tommen everywhere. He can't go to pee alone. And Myrcella… What could they possibly do to her now that they haven't already done?'

She lowered her head to make Jaime think she was about to cry. In fact, she had already cried all her tears, but her twin didn't know that. He let out a sigh and sat beside her on the sofa. They were sitting there quietly until Cersei broke the silence.

'I am… We are more vulnerable than ever. As President I will be able to protect all of us and get rid of our enemies.' she explained, almost whispered in a soft tone.

'Yeah, but…' Jaime protested, but his sister interrupted him.

'Do you remember what you promised me? You promised me that our family would be stronger than ever. That we would take everything that is ours and more. You said nothing would stop us. This was a prophecy too. And it's all coming true.'

'Just like the other.' Jaime snorted in disdain.

Cersei shook her head. 'I'm not so sure anymore. Jaime, there is something you should know…'

She didn't have a chance to tell because someone knocked on the door.

'What?' Cersei snapped at her assistant who had the nerve to bother them.

'You should get ready. The dinner with your donors will begin in an hour. You'll have ninety minutes with them, after that we'll all go to the conference room to wait for the first results.' the young woman said readily.

Her boss didn't appreciate her enthusiasm.

'I know that. I'll be down shortly You can go now.' Cersei dismissed her with a wave of her hand and rolled her eyes.

'You should be nicer to them.' Jaime remarked with a weary sigh. 'Friends can become enemies too easily.'

'That's why I keep you.' his sister gave him a faint smile before she left the room to go and get ready.'

* * *

Everything was in line with their expectations. The first results were more than promising.

'How is it going?' Cersei asked her brothers after she finished with the most boring dinner of her life and arrived at the hotel that they rented for her victory party.

'Still the same.' Tyrion tried to oppress a yawn. 'We have the Westerlands and the Reach, Robb Stark has won the North and Dorne.'

'What a surprise.' Jaime remarked in a sarcastic voice.

Cersei rolled her eyes. 'I wouldn't want the Dornish votes even if they begged me to take them.'

Her twin wanted to say something back, but Tyrion interrupted them. He just hung up the phone with one of his contacts and turned to them:

'Just came in. The young wolf won the Vale and the Riverlands. It will come down to Stormlands and the Capital.'

A moment later the News reporter confirmed the Lannister campaign manager's words and the whole room with its hundred of staffers got quiet.

'It's not a big deal. You don't have to hold your breath.' Cersei snapped at them.

In fact, it was kind of a big deal. The Vale had the largest military bases in the country. Both Jaime and Cersei spent a lot of time campaigning there. They relied strongly on the soldiers serving there to vote for them.

'If Robb gets one of the remaining two states, he is President.' Tyrion dragged his sister out of her thoughts. 'You'll need both to win.'

Jaime couldn't hold back a scornful chuckle.

'It looks like it's up to the Baratheon supporters now.' he remarked with a sneer and put his arms around his twin from behind.' If they love you just as much as you loved your dear husband, you can prepare your concession speech.'

'I don't have one.' Cersei pulled away from him with a frown.

'Maybe you won't need it.' Tyrion pointed at the large TV screen in front of them. 'You won Kings Landing.'

His sister let out a sigh of relief. She was only one step away from the greatest victory of her life.

* * *

And she won.

She became the first female President of the States of Westeros and suddenly everyone wanted a piece of her. It took an hour for her to get rid of everyone and be alone for a couple minutes. Her family and her supporters were all dancing in the great ballroom while she escaped to the unlit gallery and watched them, unseen, from above. At least, she thought she was unseen.

'There you are.' she heard her twin brother's voice from behind. 'How does it feel?'

She turned around to face him. 'It feels right. I finally got what I deserved.' she replied without hesitation.

Jaime quietly nodded. He probably expected a similar answer.

'I'm sorry I couldn't get you the Vale.' he finally said.

Cersei shrugged. 'It doesn't matter now.'

They remained silent for a moment, then Jaime stepped closer to her and whispered in her ear: 'Dance with me.'

Cersei burst out in laughter.

'You know I can't. Not since the surgery. My legs will never be the sa...' she tried to protest, but Jaime could be pretty convincing when he wanted to.

He put his arms around her and they slowly began to dance.

'So you promised me we would have everything once you are elected President.' he mumbled.

'What would you wish for?' his sister asked with a charming smile.

Jaime got straight to the chase. 'Your Marriage Equality Act. Were you serious about that?'

Cersei let out a soft chuckle. 'If you want me to…' Her brother didn't answer so she continued. 'But I didn't just promise everything. I also promised something more. And there _is_ something more, Jaime. I'm pregnant.'

'What?' the shock was written all over his face. 'Are you sure?'

Cersei nodded. She gave her brother a long reassuring look, but he still couldn't believe it. He let go of her waist and slid his good hand over her belly.

'Who will you say is the father?' he gulped.

'You.' Cersei said with ease.

Jaime shook his head. 'People won't like that.' Seeing that his twin couldn't care less, he added in a worried voice. 'They will immediately impeach you.'

'They can try…' Cersei remarked, amused. 'Do you remember what Dad always says about people?'

'The lion does not concern himself with the opinions of the sheep.' Jaime quoted their father's unmistakable words. 'But…'

Cersei didn't let him finish. She put her arms around his neck and breathed into his ear: 'Marry me!'

Jaime was visibly taken aback by her demand, but he didn't hesitate for long before he pulled her into a passionate kiss.

Cersei closed her eyes and let the familiar warm sensation running through her whole body, being unaware of the thousand flashes capturing her biggest secret.


	11. Chapter 11

'How could you be so careless?' Tyrion yelled at his sister, then he let out a sigh. 'This is bad, Cersei. Like impeachment bad.'

'It was a brotherly kiss. Celebrities get away with it all the time.' Cersei shrugged.

She watched with hidden amusement as her younger brother paced the room up and down.

'First of all, you are not a celebrity, you are the President. And secondly, it was definitely not a brotherly kiss. And now the whole country knows that.'

'All right then, what do you suggest?' Cersei rolled her eyes.

She looked at her twin brother for support, but Jaime just stared in front of him with a serious expression.

'Resign. And deny everything more than that kiss between you and Jaime.' Tyrion remarked in a firm voice.

A heavy silence fell on the room.

'No! I won't do it!' Cersei screamed when she realized her brother was serious.

'For God's sake, Cersei, think of Tommen.' Jaime suddenly snapped at her. 'If you don't do this right. they can take him away from you. They will take him and…'

Cersei shook her head and instinctively put her hand on her stomach. 'No one will touch my children. I won't let that happen.'

She suddenly realized she had said too much. Tyrion didn't need much time to figure it all out.

'Cersei, you didn't…' he mumbled in shock. 'We were in the middle of your presidential campaign!'

'I.. I know that. But Joffrey was dead… and Myrcella was in boarding school… and Tommen was pulling away each day…' Cersei stammered. '…Yes, I wanted another piece of Jaime and me!'

Both Jaime and Tyrion were surprised to see her motherly side revealed to them.

'I just got elected President. I will not resign.' she remarked quietly. 'I did nothing wrong.'

'The law says otherwise.' her younger brother muttered under his breath.

'Then I'll change the damn law!' Cersei hissed angrily. 'Loras is with us. He will get the free marriage act passed.'

'What about the people? Your voters? They won't forgive you for betraying them like this.' Jaime remarked in a worried voice.

Tyrion nodded in agreement, which gained an eye roll from Cersei.

She walked over to Jaime and kissed him. He immediately deepened the kiss, but his sister quickly let go of him.

'Never doubt me again.' she stopped the kiss and slapped him across the face.

Tyrion instinctively backed away when Cersei left Jaime and stepped closer to him.

'You, my little brother will have to deal with the people. You will make Jaime and I look like the perfect fairytale couple.'

'Of course, no problem. How on earth would you expect me to do that?' Tyrion scoffed.

Cersei ignored his tone and gave him a confident smile. 'Give them bread and circuses. You are going to plan a presidential wedding.'

* * *

Tyrion's first idea of making his sibling's romantic relationship acceptable to the people was a family brunch in a chic restaurant close to the Red House. The place was flooded with the paparazzi who got secretly tipped off by the Lannisters themselves and Cersei gave an appreciative nod upon seeing her younger brother's work when she entered on Jaime's arm. The waiter quickly showed them to their table and Cersei couldn't stop herself looking nervously at her twin brother. Jaime seemed just as excited as her. Since the election more and more protesters gathered on the Red House lawn and the newly elected President was getting terrible press. It was needless to say how important it was to change the people's mind about them. They had to do the impossible: trying to look like a normal family. But the hardest to convince was their own son.

'I told you we shouldn't have brought Tommen.' Cersei hissed angrily behind her menu.

'Smile, Cersei.' Jaime mumbled with a fake smile. 'And lower the menu so those stupid hyenas you ordered here could see us.'

Tommen snorted in disdain.

Cersei shot a quick glance at him. 'I know you are angry, but at least, eat something.' she remarked, then she added. 'Please.'

Her son gave her a surprised look. He didn't hear her mother use that word often.

'What if I don't?' he asked stubbornly.

Cersei dropped her presidential act for a moment and leaned closer to her son.

'It's not the best time to defy me, Tommen.' she remarked in a serious voice. 'I have just become the most powerful woman in the world and our enemies are not happy about it. They will do everything to destroy us. They can take you away from me.'

Tommen shrugged. 'Maybe then I can live with Margaery. You are disgusting. I would never kiss Myrcella.'

'No one asks you to.' Jaime intervened before his sister had a chance to snap.

They sat quietly around their table for a while, then Cersei broke the silence.

'All right. Name your price.'

Tommen didn't need one moment to think.

'I want to go to church with Margaery to pray for your souls.' he said with a satisfied smile.

Cersei nervously twitched. Out of all the betrayals Tommen committed against her this was the worst. But in her current situation she didn't have the luxury to say no to him. For now.

'Fine. Whatever makes you happy, sweetheart.' she replied in mock ease.

Jaime gave her a reassuring smile and gently squeezed her hand before he turned to Tommen. 'Say a prayer for your brother and sister as well, okay?'

Tommen silently nodded.

'Democracy is the worst form of government.' Cersei remarked with a frustrated sigh. 'I'm glad we don't have to live in it much longer.'

Jaime looked at her in shock. 'What do you mean?'

His twin sister didn't have time to answer because Gregor stepped to her.

Cersei gave him an expectant look. 'Did you find her?'

Gregor grunted something and nodded.

'Good. Let's go.' Cersei answered and got up from her chair. Gregor was about to leave, but she called him back. 'It's just you and me, Gregor. Back door, one car. I don't want the motorcade.'

Gregor gave her a short nod and left. Cersei took her lion head cane and wanted to follow him when Jaime grabbed her arm.

'Where are you going?'

'It's none of your concern.' she remarked with a smile and left her still puzzled family.

* * *

'Melinda Alexander. Lady Melisandre. Very creative.' Cersei remarked scornfully as she walked into the fortune teller's living room.

'What do I do the honour, Madam President?' Melinda asked suspiciously.

Cersei sat down on the sofa. 'Do you remember me?'

'Yes. Such a dark future for such a young girl. It's not often I have to deliver a horrible prophecy like that.'

'I'm flattered. But now you have to do it again.' Cersei remarked in a firm voice.

Melinda shook her head. 'Sorry, I can't help. Your agent who had visited me earlier must have told you that I'm not a fortune teller anymore.'

Cersei couldn't be discouraged so easily.

'I'm sure you still have your cards. Bring them here.' she ordered the other woman with an impatient smile.

Melinda walked over to a cupboard and took a deck of cards from one of the drawers.

'Why is it so important to you?' she sat on a chair beside the sofa and began shuffling the cards.

Cersei folded her arms and remained stubbornly quiet.

'It came true, right?' Melinda continued. 'Clients usually come back because they see their prophecy coming true and they desperately want to change it. But they can't. That's why I don't like doing a second reading for the same person. So… which one was it? Which one came true?'

Cersei couldn't help herself shivering as she thought back to their previous session almost thirty years ago.

' _Five minutes. Ask your questions.' Lady Melisandre began in a bored voice._

 _The ten-year-old Cersei didn't appreciate her tone, but she didn't let it get to her._

' _Who will be my husband?' she fired her first question._

 _The fortune teller spread her deck of cards over the table. 'Draw a card.' she ordered._

 _Cersei took a card and turned the picture to the other woman._

 _Lady Melisandre couldn't hide her surprise as she looked at it. 'The Devil.'_

' _This is stupid.' the little girl rolled her eyes and quickly moved on to her next question. 'Am I going to have children?'_

' _Not by him.' the woman said. 'Draw a card.'_

 _Cersei did as she was told._

' _Three of Swords. Three times your heart cries out in joy, three times it's pierced by swords.' Lady Melisandre translated the meaning of the card that showed the picture of a heart pierced by three swords._

' _It doesn't make any sense.' young Cersei frowned._

' _If I were you, I would make sure not to have any children.' the fortune teller remarked firmly, but upon seeing the little girl's expression, she let her mask slip for a moment. I'm sorry, it must be difficult to hear. Do you want to continue?'_

' _Yes.' Cersei gulped and blinked away her tears that were threatening to fall. 'Am I going to be successful?'_

' _Love or career?' the other woman asked._

' _Both.'_

 _Lady Melisandre nodded. 'Draw two cards.'_

 _The first card Cersei drew showed a woman in a flowery dress with a crown on her head. A satisfied smile flashed across her face until she saw her next card: a tower in flames._

' _You'll become an Empress, but your empire will crumble down when the Tower falls.' young Cersei heard the fortune teller's cold voice._

' _You're just trying to scare me.' she snorted in disdain. 'Just so you know, I won't give you more money. I want the truth.'_

' _It is the truth.' the woman reassured her with a scornful smile. 'Do you want to know how it ends?'_

 _Cersei nodded. Once again, she followed the fortune teller's instruction and drew two cards._

 _Lady Melisandre quickly snatched them from her hands to study the pictures of what looked like some white sorceress and an old monk._

' _T_ _he High Priestess will come to harvest the fruit of your labour and your fate will be of the Hermit.' the woman said with ease and Cersei could have sworn she saw her smiling._

'You have lost two of your children.' Melinda's voice dragged Cersei out of her thoughts. 'You are here because you want to know what happens when you lose the third one.'

Cersei shook her head. Now it was her turn to smile. 'No, I won't lose him. You have made a mistake. But I see that it was a waste of time coming here. You may not be a fortune teller anymore, but you are still a petty liar.'

She got up from her chair and made her way to the door.

'Wait.' the other woman suddenly stopped her. 'I should have noticed it. Your aura is glowing. You are full of life.'

Cersei scoffed. 'I don't have time for your bullshit. Are you going to tell my future?'

Melinda stepped closer to her and put her hand on her stomach. 'No. But I tell hers.'


	12. Chapter 12

**A.N. Thank you for those who have stayed (and the possible new ones), I hope you'll enjoy.**

* * *

'You are late. Again.' Jaime remarked with a hint of reproach in his voice when his sister took a seat between him and their son at the dinner table.

Cersei shot an angry glance at him. 'I won't apologize for missing dinner. I'm running the damn country, Jaime.'

'More like ruining it.' Tommen muttered under his breath.

'What did you just say?' Cersei snapped at him.

The young boy didn't let himself being intimidated. He stood his mother's gaze and replied with a shrug. 'I said you are ruining the country.'

'Luckily, it's not up for you to decide.' Cersei snorted in disdain.

Jaime, as always, tried to ease the tension and put a hand on his twin's arm. 'Why don't we eat?'

Cersei let out a sigh and nodded, but suddenly something else grabbed her attention. Her son also took her arm from the other side and softly started chanting:

'Lord, bless this food and grant that we may thankful for thy mercies be; teach us…'

'Stop this right now. What the hell are you doing?' Cersei cried out in shock and anger.

'I'm saying grace.' Tommen answered a bit surprised. 'Uncle Jaime said it was okay.'

'No, it's not okay.' his mother jerked away her hand from his. 'I let Margaery take you to church every Sunday, but you won't be doing this at home. Not at my table.'

'Fine. I'm not hungry anyway.' Tommen shrugged and left the table.

Cersei shook her head in frustration, then reached for the bottle of red wine that was prepared on the table and poured a glass full.

'You shouldn't…' Jaime began, but he was quickly silenced by his sister's contemptuous look.

'I shouldn't what? Drinking while I'm pregnant?' Cersei rubbed her rounding belly. 'It's my fourth pregnancy. I know how to keep a baby alive. Well, at least until she's on the inside.'

'Three more months. It's almost over.' her twin remarked gently.

'And here I thought the party's just been getting started.' Cersei chuckled softly.

Jaime smiled back at her and took advantage of her momentary good mood.

'What is going on? You are on the edge ever since you came back from that stupid fortune teller. What did she tell you?'

The wine glass between Cersei's fingers stopped midair and she completely froze for a moment.

' _I see a motherless child. She won't have you in her life for long.'_ Lady Melisandre's voice echoed in her head.

'What did she tell you?' Jaime's voice dragged her out of her thoughts.

'Nothing. Just a bunch of crap.' Cersei said with a faint smile and downed the rest of her drink. 'I think I'm going to call it a night.'

With that said, she got up from her chair and headed toward the big double door that separated the large state dining room from her private residency.

'Now? It's only nine o'clock.' her brother stated in surprise.

Cersei stopped for a moment and turned back to him. 'I had meetings after meetings the whole day. I'm tired. I say good night to Myrcella, then I go to bed.'

'Do you still think she has a better chance of waking up if she is here instead of the hospital?'

Jaime's question hung in the air for a while, before Cersei turned around and left.

* * *

Cersei lay on her side with Jaime behind her, resting his hand on her belly.

'How can you sleep when she is kicking so hard?' he asked curiously.

'You see that I can't.' Cersei oppressed a yawn.

Her brother got quiet for a while, then he asked. 'Aren't you afraid that they're gonna take the kids away from us?'

Cersei raised her eyebrows in surprise and turned to face her twin.

'No. The free marriage act will get passed. Then we'll get married and everything's going to be fine.'

'How can you be so sure?' Jaime frowned.

His sister started to get frustrated with all the questions and tried to cut it short. 'Because it's not how it ends for me.'

'What do you mean?' Jaime asked again, but lucky for Cersei, she didn't have to answer because someone knocked on the door.

'Come on in.' she sat up and turned on the light.

The man in uniform at the door managed to overcome his embarrassment and quickly got on with his announcement.

'Ma'am, sorry to bother you, but you are needed in the situation room.'

'I'll be right there.' Cersei gave him a short nod and let him go.

* * *

'Where is Jaime?' Tyrion asked his sister as she entered the room.

'He is still against the war. He doesn't like us killing the Dornish scumbags.' Cersei remarked casually as she adjusted the robe on herself that she had hastily thrown on her nightgown.

Tyrion didn't let it go so easily. 'Even if it is the only thing that stands between you and an impeachment?

'Not even if it's our last chance to take revenge on our daughter's killer.' Of course, Cersei had her own reasons not to want Jaime in the sit room that night, but it was none of her brothers' business.

'Are you ready Madam President?' one of her generals asked.

'Yes.' Cersei turned to him. 'What do we know?'

'She's run by the name of Ellaria Sand. Leading member of the Sand Snakes.' the man began, but Cersei quickly interrupted him.

'Tell me something I don't know.'

The general listened to her insult without blinking an eye and continued. 'She left Dorne two days ago with fake IDs and managed to slip into Lannisport under our radars.'

'How?' Cersei snapped at him and looked around the room full of military men and politicians. 'Where is she now?'

'In a shopping mall downtown.' the Secretary of Defense replied willingly.

'Do we have cameras there?' Tyrion asked, worried.

'Yes, we have.' the general said in a firm voice, then he turned to his President. 'Ma'am, we have reason to believe that she is wearing a suicide vest.'

'We also think it's personal.' a young lieutenant added.

'Personal how?' Cersei frowned.

'First she was trying to kill your daughter, now she is in your home town.' the general explained. 'We suspect that she chose a spot with so many cameras on purpose.'

'She wants me to see when she blows up herself.' it slowly started to sink in to Cersei. 'How fast can our men get to her?' she asked while she looked up to the screen that showed the live stream of a bookshop's security camera.

The Secretary of Defense cleared his throat that made everyone turn in his direction.

'We already have a team stand-by. She has been in that bookshop you see for the past ten minutes, seems to be waiting for someone.'

'Then what are you waiting for?' Cersei cried out in anger. 'Kill her.'

'With her wearing the suicide vest we can't guarantee to prevent the explosion. We must neutralize the target, but we have to be sure to minimalize to casualties.' the young lieutenant said matter-of-factly.

'How many people are in the shop?' Tyrion asked.

'Five. Two in the back, three in the front. One of them is a minor.' came the answer from the general.

Cersei instinctively put her hand on her stomach. 'How old?'

The general noticed her gesture and remarked in a softer tone: 'A three-year-old boy.'

'Our men are in position, Ma'am. We are ready to take her out.' the lieutenant interrupted.

'No.' Cersei shook her head. 'Not until you get that child out of there.'

The Secretary of Defense opened his mouth to protest. 'Madam President. There are hundreds of people in the movie theater and the film is almost over. If Ellaria Sand leaves the shop and blows up herself there, a lot more people will die. I suggest you take the chance now.'

'Get. The. Child. Out.' Cersei shouted, boiling with rage.

The whole room got quiet for a moment, until the young lieutenant broke the silence.

'The kid is just wobbling toward the back exit. Almost out of the shop. Someone could go and grab him, then take him to safety.'

'What about his mother? ' Tyrion asked, but no one dared to answer his question.

'All right. I will give you the order to fire as soon as the boy is safe. But not a moment before that.' Cersei remarked in a categorical voice.

'Everyone in position. Get ready. We are going in.' the general gave the order in a walkie-talkie while they all stared at the screen that showed the live feed from the bookshop.

They all held their breath until the general finally spoke up. 'All right. The boy's out. Madam President. Do we have your permission to neutralize the target?'

'Wait. Someone is coming.' the lieutenant cried out.

'It's a woman. She is walking right into the shop.'

'Isn't it..?' Tyrion didn't finish his question, but his sister confirmed his worst fear.

'Yes, it's Margaery. Damn it!' Cersei cursed and turned away from the screen.

She looked at her brother for advice who shook his head in disbelief.

'Abort.' Tyrion gave the order to the general, which he didn't pass on. 'Are you deaf? I said: stand down!'

'They are waiting for me.' his sister remarked with a serious expression.

'Then what are you waiting for? Tell them! She is our father's wife for God's sake!' Tyrion shouted and grabbed his sister's arm to make her look at him again.

'Ma'am!' the general called Cersei who finally looked away from her brother and turned to him. 'We don't have more time. Can we proceed?'

' _Pray your way out of this one, Margaery.'_ Cersei thought to herself, then let out a sigh.'Proceed.'


	13. Chapter 13

**A.N. Here is the next chapter. I'm sorry to keep you wating, but I'm very busy and/or lazy. :) I hope you'll enjoy!**

* * *

The hospital was eerie after they emptied the whole wing for the President. Jaime could already hear Cersei's screams from the other end of the hallway.

'Thank God, you are here.' his brother remarked with a relieved sigh.

'How is she doing?' Jaime asked, worried, as if his sister's screams in themselves were not enough to answer his question.

'Not good.' Tyrion said briefly. 'She doesn't want to do it.'

'What do you mean she doesn't want to do it?!' Jaime shook his head in disbelief.

'She is refusing to push. Apparently, she decided against having this baby.' his brother added.

'It's not really a choice at this point.' Jaime still tried to process the information.

Another one of Cersei's painful screams shook the hallway.

'That's Cersei for you.' Tyrion remarked with a hint of amusement in his voice.

'This is nonsense. She can't stop nature.' his older brother cried out in shock.

'She'll damn well try.' Tyrion chuckled bitterly.

He was about to leave when his brother's voice stopped him.

'Wait. Where are you going?'

Tyrion let out a sigh an turned back to face him. 'Look, Jaime. I came because they couldn't reach you, but it was a one time thing. I'm still not speaking to her. Probably never will.'

'You can't do this. She is your family.' Jaime was visibly confused.

'You know who else was? Even if I hated her guts? Margaery.' Tyrion shouted indignantly.

'It wasn't her fault. She said she didn't get confirmation until after the explosion. It happened so quickly. Isn't it possible that you are wrong?'

Tyrion felt sorry for her brother who tried so hard to defend their sister and her actions. It would have been pointless to even attempt to change his mind.

'You'd better hurry. She is waiting for you.'

* * *

'Don't touch me!' was the first thing Jaime heard upon entering his sister's room, followed by a flying book directed at the unsuspecting doctor.

'Jaime.' Cersei cried softly, immediately relieved along with the rest of the hospital staff when they noticed him.

Jaime stepped closer and sat on his twin sister's bedside. 'Hey. What's going on?'

'I can't have this baby. I can't do it.' Cersei stated, breathless.

Her brother softly chuckled and caressed her cheek. 'Of course you can. You have already done it three times.'

'No, you don't understand.' Cersei shook her head and roughly pushed her brother's hand away. 'I'm going to die. This baby will kill me. Just like Tyrion killed Mom.'

'You are not making any sense.' Jaime protested quickly, trying hard to rationalize his sister's fears. 'You are just upset with him and you are afraid of having this baby. That's why you are imagining things.'

Cersei, once again, shrieked in agonizing pain as she tried to stop the baby on her way out of her.

One of the nurses stepped to the bed. 'Madam President, you must push.'

Cersei silently shook her head and burst into quiet sobs. Jaime was shocked to see his sister and lover this way. As hard as he tried to understand the scene that was in front of him, he couldn't.

'What did you give her?' That was the only explanation that came into his mind.

'Just the usual. Epidural and some mild sedatives.' the nurse replied willingly. 'Is there something wrong?'

And suddenly, everything was clear.

'Wrong?' Jaime got up from the bed, threatening to attack the careless nurse. 'We are talking about someone who was paralyzed for almost a year. Numbing her with painkillers must have triggered her. No wonder she is having a full-blown panic attack.'

His twin's weak voice stopped him from doing something bad before it was too late. 'Jaime, stop. I don't have much time and we need to talk.'

Jaime gave her a sad nod, then turned to the group of doctors and nurses. 'Can we have the room, please?'

The nurses wanted to protest, but the leading doctor in charge silenced her with his eyes. 'Be quick. She is endangering the baby with every minute.'

After they finally left, Jaime sat back to his sister's bedside. 'Did you hear that? You have to give birth to our daughter now.'

'What if she's a dwarf?' Cersei asked after a long pause.

Her brother was a bit taken aback by her superficial question, but at least it meant that she was still in there. 'We have seen the ultrasound. She is perfectly normal.' he finally said.

'She can still perfectly kill me.' Cersei added bitterly.

Jaime let out an exhausted sigh. 'Why?'

'Lady Melisandre told me she would become a motherless child.' Cersei came out with the simple explanation.

'You shouldn't have let her messing with your head again.' her twin shook his head with disbelief. 'That woman is a fraud. No one will die, okay? I need you, Tommen needs you.'

'Tommen?' the mention of her son made Cersei forget about her problems for a moment. 'He barely left his room since Margaery died. He's still blaming me and refuses to ta…'

Another cry of pain left her lips and her resistance finally began to fade.

'Forget about that now.' Jaime gently squeezed her sweaty hand.'Let's focus on this baby. Everything is going to be all right, I promise you.'

'Jaime' Cersei whispered, but she seemed more at ease. 'I want to give her a name that she can wear proudly.'

Jaime had to think about that for a moment. 'You want to name her after Mom?'

Cersei shook her head. 'I want to name her after you.'

* * *

 _Two months later_

'Tommen, school.' Cersei shouted across the living room, while she was holding her baby daughter in her arms, hoping that her loud voice could reach her son's ears.

Moments passed, but nothing happened. Jaime looked up from his laptop and stated the obvious. 'He's not going.'

'He doesn't have a choice.' Cersei snapped, but the baby started to fuss so she lowered her voice. 'Come on. Why does he have to play this game every fucking morning?'

Her brother got up from his seat and walked over to her. 'I'm worried about him. When was the last time you saw him for more than five minutes?'

Cersei let out a frustrated sigh.'I don't know, Jaime. I was a little busy. In case you haven't noticed I'm doing your job.'

Jaime was about to press a kiss on his daughter's forehead, but his sister's harsh words made him abort the gesture. He instinctively made a step back. 'My job. And what would that be?'

'Commanding our troops.' Cersei remarked matter-of-factly.

'Into a war you have brought on us on purpose.' Jaime snorted in disdain, then gave his sister a suspicious look. 'Are you even want to win it? Because the more this goes on, the more chance you get to keep your presidency.'

'And to save us.' his twin sister corrected him. 'It's not just about me. We have to protect our family.'

'So we came full circle.' Jaime added bitterly.

Cersei was furious. The baby must have felt her mother's rage because she began to cryi.

'Look, if you got too soft hearted on those Dornish bastards, I'm fine with it.' Cersei tried to talk over her daughter's bawling. 'You are not the only one. It appears that President Targaryen's daughter is also a huge fan.'

'Daenerys?' her brother asked in surprise.

'Yeah.' Now it was Cersei's turn to get suspicious. 'She has served nine years in the Army. Do you know her?'

Jaime couldn't hold back a soft chuckle. 'I don't know every soldier. Besides, she is much younger than me.'

'Not that much.' Cersei remarked with a frown.

The baby finally fell asleep so she gently placed her in her crib. After she walked back to her brother she seemed more relaxed.

'Anyway, my point is that while I'm juggling between raising a baby and waging war with our enemies, the least I can expect from you is to make some effort. Let's agree that Tommen is your problem for now.'

Jaime didn't seem to appreciate the task he was given.

'What am I supposed to do with him?' he cried out in frustration. 'He is still grieving for Margaery. He doesn't need me, he needs his mother, Cersei.'

The calm facade immediately disappeared from Cersei's expression.

'He should be thankful that he has one. Not everyone is so lucky.' she hissed between her teeth.

'Yeah. Thanks, Mom.'

They failed to notice when the door opened and Tommen entered the room.

Cersei gave him an awkward smile, but she quickly composed herself and looked back to her brother. 'See? Here he is. Fully clothed, ready to go to school.' Then she turned back to her son. 'It wasn't that hard, was it, sweetheart?'

'Can I go now?'

Little did Cersei know that these were the last words she ever heard from her son.


	14. Chapter 14

**A.N.: So I admit the last chapters were pretty dark. Although I think it is mostly downhill from here, there is one silver lining in the end for those of you who keep reading. I hope you'll enjoy. :)**

* * *

The bathroom walls of the presidential suite were not thick enough to muffle the sounds of their quarrel.

'How much more are you willing to lose until this is all over? Would you sacrifice our last child for it? Myrcella and Tommen were the first victims of your battle for power, but if you continue, Jaymee can be the next.' Jaime argued while they were preparing for Tommen's funeral.

'Tommen wasn't a victim. He killed himself. It was his choice.' Cersei remarked coldly as she put on her lipstick in front of the large mirror.

Jaime couldn't believe what he had just heard. He left the door frame he had stood against and stepped menacingly behind his sister. 'What kind of choice are you talking about? He was ten years old and he was so unhappy that he didn't see another way out.'

Cersei slightly winced as she felt Jaime's breath on her shoulder.

'I can't forgive him, Jaime. I simply can't.' she said softly as she leaned over the basin.

'And I can't forgive myself.' Jaime replied right away.

Cersei straightened up and started to study her brother's image in the mirror.

'No. ' she slowly shook her head. 'You can't forgive _me_. Just say it.'

'Maybe.' Jaime agreed.

His sister remained quiet for a while, then she let out a frustrated sigh and ran her hands down her tight black dress. 'I look fat, I hate it.'

Jaime raised his eyebrows in surprise. It was uncharacteristic of Cersei to back out of a fight.

'You don't. Anyway, it's not my concern anymore.' Jaime said wearily. 'I'm leaving, Cersei.'

'What?' her twin brother's words sounded so absurd, Cersei almost laughed.

But it wasn't a joke. She realized that as soon as he repeated them.

'You heard me. I'm leaving you.'

* * *

Cersei has already had quite a few drinks and after Jaime's dramatic announcement she didn't see any reason to stop after the funeral.

'Watch your step, sis.' she heard Tyrion's voice as she stumbled into the living room to greet the guests who were coming to the wake.

'Sorry, not sorry.' she mumbled scornfully and took a bottle of wine from the table.

Her brother watched her attempt to pour herself a glass, but half of the drink ended up on the tablecloth.

'What? You're not even trying to stop me?' Cersei snapped at her brother when she noticed his look.

'You would enjoy that, wouldn't you?' Tyrion said with a bitter smile.

His sister returned the smile. 'I always enjoy when you fail.'

Tyrion watched as a drop of red wine ran through Cersei's fingers that held the glass. 'I gave up a long time ago to try to make you a better person.'

'You can't imagine what I have been through.' Cersei hissed between her teeth while she wiped her hand in the tablecloth. 'How could you? You were not here. You left me!'

With her last screamed words, she accidentally dragged the tablecloth with her, along with most of the things that were on it. The piles of plates and glasses came crashing down and shattered on the floor. All the guests turned their head toward them.

'Let's get out of here.' Cersei suggested, which sounded more like an order to her brother.

Tyrion followed her sister through the rooms until they got out to the huge balcony.

'Another great funeral.' Cersei remarked after she let her brother soak in the view.

'It was beautiful. You really did justice to Tommen's memory.' Tyrion answered honestly.

Cersei gave him a suspicious look, then let out a soft chuckle. 'It's just like parenting. You get better with every child.'

Tyrion couldn't hold back a painful groan. 'God, Cersei. You should listen to yourself sometimes.' Seeing the hollow look in his sister's eyes made him feel pity for her. 'I'm truly sorry about Tommen.'

'I don't give a shit about your sorry.' Cersei remarked flatly. 'But I want to ask you something. Is it true that you are helping Daenerys Targaryen?'

Tyrion was taken aback by her change of subject, but there was no use denying the truth.

'Yes. I'm giving her council.'

'Why?' Cersei asked again with an almost childlike disappointment in her voice.

But she couldn't fool her brother. 'I'm preparing her for the next election.'

'Against me.' It was getting harder and harder for Cersei to keep up the cool facade.

Tyrion snorted in amusement. 'I wouldn't be so confident. You will probably get impeached by then.'

'I will kill you for this.' Cersei jumped at her brother's throat and tried to push him over the balcony rails.

Lucky for Tyrion, she was too drunk for the task. She fell onto her knees to catch her breath and let her sobs break free. After a minute, she raised her glance up to her brother who just stood there silently, unsure to leave or stay to comfort her… Finally, Cersei had enough and got up from the floor.

'Thank you.' she mumbled as she walked away, leaving her puzzled little brother behind.

* * *

'Sorry to interrupt. Can I talk to you, Dad?' Cersei asked her father who was talking to some distant relatives.

Tywin gave a concerned look to his daughter whose mascara was smudged and had serious trouble standing on her own two feet. 'I don't think it's the right time for you to talk about anything. Go back to your room. We'll talk once you have slept it off.'

Cersei shook her head and laughed at him.'I don't have a room, Daddy. The whole fucking house… the whole fucking country is mine.'

'Not for long if you continue like this.' her father remarked it as a warning. 'Where is Jaime?'

'How should I know? He didn't want to attend his own son…' Cersei began, but after her father's slight twitch, she corrected herself. 'Right, his _nephew's_ funeral. But you won't get rid of me so easily. I'm the President.'

Tywin didn't appreciate her tone, but he knew better than to argue with a drunk. He excused himself from his company and followed his daughter to an empty sofa.

'What can I do for you, Madam President?'

'Did you know that Tyrion is working for Daenerys Targaryen?' Cersei jumped right into it.

Her father nodded. 'I told him to quit as soon as I found out.'

'Well, he didn't listen.' she hissed between her teeth. 'I'm waging war, and he and the Targaryen girl support my enemies.'

'Anything else?' Tywin glanced at his watch, signaling his boredom.

Cersei knew she was running out of her father's precious time. 'I need more money. Those Dornish scumbags are now getting foreign aid, so I have to double the men and the weapons to fight them.'

Tywin oppressed a yawn. 'You want to know the truth? You can't win this war, Cersei. You need to end it.'

'No, no, no…' Cersei quickly got up from her seat, only to lose her balance and immediately fall back. 'I just need more time and money…'

'The country is in flames, the people hate you.' her father interrupted her plea. 'And because of that abominable rumour about you and your brother, you have managed to lose your remaining supporters.'

Cersei's lips curved into a scornful smile. She found her father's Achilles' heel. 'It's not a rumour and you know it.'

Tywin looked as if he was physically hurt by her words. 'I don't have to listen to this. Stop fighting and make peace with the Dornish.' He got up from the sofa, ready to leave, but his daughter's voice made him turn back to her.

'Never.'

'Suit yourself, but I'm not financing your pointless war any longer.' Tywin remarked in a firm voice before he let himself one moment of weakness. 'You were my little girl. I gave you the world and you did nothing but squander it. This will end now. It's time for you to get your act together.'

* * *

After the guests left, Cersei wanted to say goodbye to her son one last time before the people from the funeral home came to take him away. But someone beat her to it.

'Look, who decided to show his face after all.' she greeted her twin brother.

'I wasn't right to leave you and let you deal with the funeral stuff all alone. I'm sorry. ' Jaime lowered his eyes in shame. 'Dad is worried about you. He thinks you might have lost it this time.'

Cersei snorted in disdain. 'What did you say to him?'

'The truth. That you are grieving. But I don't think I convinced him. He doesn't want you to be President anymore.'

Cersei stepped closer to her brother and put her arms around his neck. 'Lucky for us, I don't care about Tywin Lannister.' she whispered to his ear and pressed a soft kiss on his lips. Then another and another…

'Stop it, Cersei. It's not right. They can be here for the casket any minute.' Jaime tried to escape his twin's embrace, but she didn't let go of him.

'Let them come. I have nothing to be ashamed of.' Cersei whispered seductively.

Her brother's resistance slowly began to fade and he eased into Cersei's arms. 'God, why did you make me love such a hateful woman?'

* * *

Cersei woke up in her own bed. She was still trying to piece together last night's events when she noticed an open suitcase in the corner of the room.

'Jaime?'

Her twin brother stepped out of the bathroom with only a towel around his torso.

'What's going on?' Cersei asked in a hoarse voice, nodding toward the suitcase.

Jaime followed her gaze. 'I told you: I'm leaving.'

'No, you are not.' Cersei wrestled down the blanket of herself and got out of bed. 'You just fucked me beside our son's coffin.'

'It was yesterday. You just don't remember because you passed out right after.' Jaime remarked matter-of-factly. 'But look at the bright side. At least our last time was special.'

Cersei was shocked to see her twin this way. She was used to this kind of behaviour from Tyrion or her father, but never Jaime. 'How can you be so cynical?'

'I'm afraid if I stayed, I would end up strangling you in your sleep.' came the simple answer.

Cersei took it with a flirty smile.'I take that chance.'

But it didn't work. Jaime has already made up his mind. 'I don't. I'm leaving and I'm taking Jaymee with me.'

'Like hell you are!' Cersei screamed at him. 'Walk away like everyone else, run like the coward you have always been, I don't give a fuck. But you won't take my daughter anywhere.'

Jaime opened the closet to put on a shirt, then threw the rest in the suitcase.

'She is my daughter too.' he remarked softly. 'Thanks to your new bill that legitimized our relationship, I have a right to be her father.'

'Are you so stupid that you would actually go to court against me?' Cersei scoffed.

She walked over to her brother and stood in front of him, blocking his way to the suitcase.

Jaime didn't let himself intimidated by her. 'Imagine what a custody battle would do to you. Your presidency couldn't survive another fail. Not if I tell the world about your dirty little secrets. All the scandals, Dad and I helped you cover up… Robert's death, Margaery's death… You don't even have the decency to deny it anymore.'

'You won't talk about those things unless you want to implicate yourself too. And then neither of us will get Jaymee. Or would you rather have Dad raise her?' Cersei remarked with a confident smile and put her hands on her brother's chest.

Jaime gently peeled her hands off of him and took them into his own. 'No. That's why I'm asking you. She is not safe with you and you know that. Let me take her away until the war is over and things have settled down.'

* * *

With Jaime and baby Jaymee gone, the presidential palace was emptier than ever. Cersei was looking out the window with a glass of red wine, listening to the sounds of bombing that were slowly reaching the capital, when she heard a faint voice from behind.

'Mom?'


	15. Chapter 15

**A.N. This is the beginning of the end I'm afraid. Only 2 chapters left (this one included) and I'll finish this story. I hope you have enjoyed it and I thank all of you for reading it.**

* * *

Cersei let the young prison guard to lead her in the empty visiting room.

'She'll be here soon.' he ensured her.

Cersei didn't bother to answer, or even look at him. She walked over to the barred windows and opened them.

'Four years and I never heard you say thank you once.' the guard shook his head disapprovingly.

'Thank you for what? I'm your President and you turned against me, all of you.' Cersei hissed between her teeth. 'I hope you got what you wanted with the Targaryen brat. Thanks to her, there is more of us in here than out there.'

'The paranoid bitch is locking everyone up without the smallest reason.'

Cersei recognized her sixteen-year-old daughter's voice who casually walked into the room.

'Leave us.' Myrcella ordered the guard who nodded, then took his position outside the door.

Myrcella looked at her mother who was stubbornly staring out the window, refusing to face her. 'Are you gonna talk to me?'

'It depends.' Cersei finally turned to her daughter. 'Is there anything worth talking about?'

Myrcella's lips curved into a small smile. 'I talked to Jon Snow. He is…'

'The leader of the rebellion. I know who he is.' Cersei interrupted her impatiently.

'I have had a meeting with him this morning.' Myrcella took a pause to see her mother's reaction to the news.

'And? What did he have to say?' Cersei asked with little interest in her voice.

'He will get you out of here if you agree to speak in support of him at the next protest.'

'He wants me to back his claim to the presidency?' Cersei gave her daughter a suspicious look. 'And you agreed?'

'Yes, I did, Mom.' Myrcella snapped at her. 'It took me a lot of work to get you this deal. You can take it or leave it, but you won't get any better than that.'

'Never!' Cersei screamed. 'I am the President of this country!'

'Fine, then! I'm sure it's much better to rot in here until you die.' her daughter yelled back with tears in her eyes.

'Like I have a choice.' Cersei scoffed. 'How can you believe a word Jon Snow says? The minute I give him my support, he throws me back in jail or worse…'

Myrcella gave her a sad look. 'I hate to see you giving up. It's so not like you.' she angrily wiped away her tears.

Cersei couldn't bear to see the disappointment in her daughter's eyes. It reminded her of the day she lost everything she held dear.

' _Mom?' Cersei heard a faint voice from behind._

 _Hallucinations were the last thing she had wished for as she knew the voice could only be in her head, but she couldn't help herself and turned around. Myrcella was still wearing her nightgown, her cheeks were pale and her hair disheveled, but she was awake. She was alive._

' _Mom?' she asked again, more pressing this time. 'What's going on? Are we under a siege?'_

' _Don't worry about it, sweetheart.' Cersei said when she had finally recovered from the shock. She stepped closer to her daughter and put her arms around her gently as possible, afraid it might hurt her. 'I will call your doctor.'_

 _Myrcella escaped her embrace and took a step back. 'I don't need a doctor. I'm fine. How long have I been sleeping?'_

' _Too long…' Cersei sighed, still unable to process the scene in front of her. 'Come with me.'_

 _She showed her daughter into a room and slowly started to empty a closet full of elegantly wrapped boxes, shiny bags and racks of clothes._

' _What are these?' Myrcella asked in surprise._

' _Christmas presents, birthday presents… all the things I couldn't give you while you were in a coma.'_

' _That's a lot of gifts.' Myrcella remarked softly as she looked around the room full of expensive unnecessities. 'What is this?'_

 _Her mother took a glance at the gorgeous white dress she was holding up and cleared her throat. 'I bought it for you for your sister's christening.'_

 _Myrcella's eyes widened in excitement. 'Right, you are… you were pregnant. I remember now. Where is she?'_

' _I let Jaime take her away. It was safer that way.' Cersei explained, already afraid of the next question._

' _And Tommen? Did he leave with them too?'_

 _Myrcella's question was hanging in the air before Cersei took the courage to answer it. She stepped to the clothes rack and ran her fingers over a black lace dress. 'No. He left on his own.'_

 _It was unnecessary to say more. They exchanged a sad look and remained silent for a while. Finally, Myrcella broke the silence. 'What now?''_

 _Cersei, however, didn't have time to answer. Her own bodyguards were the ones who betrayed her first. They broke in, escorted her out of the Red House and gave her to the authorities._

'I have a surprise for you. I really hope she will change your mind about Snow's offer.' Myrcella's voice dragged Cersei out of her thoughts.

'Who?' she asked indifferently.

Myrcella knocked on the door and the guard came back with a little girl in his arms.

'Jaymee!' Cersei gasped as soon as she saw her daughter. 'She got so big. Does she…?'

'She knows who you are.' Myrcella guessed her thought. 'I didn't let them make her forget you.'

She took her sister from the guard and walked her to their mother. Cersei knelt before the little girl and took her tiny hands in hers.

'Mommy' the little girl mumbled uncertainly and Cersei caught Myrcella's satisfied glance as she nodded to her sister. Clearly, they rehearsed it before, but their mother didn't mind it.

'If you really want this deal with Jon Snow…' Cersei looked up to her older daughter, while not letting go of the other. '…then I'm going to take it for your sake. But…'

'But what?' Myrcella couldn't wait to hear the end.

'But we will do it my way. I will tell whatever bullshit lies Snow wants me to tell, but we have to leave right after that.' her mother replied in a firm voice.

'Leave where?' the smile suddenéy disappeared from Myrcella's face.

'The Iron Islands for starters. There's no extradition and I have a friend there.' Cersei explained casually.

Myrcella narrowed her eyes in suspicion as she began to realize that her mother too had an escape plan all along. 'What kind of friend?'

'A kind that will get us a new identity.' was all Cersei was willing to share with her daughter, then continued. 'First, you need to get my money from the bank or wherever Jaime and his whore of wife keep my inheritance…'

The thought of Jaime having a wife made her want to throw up, but she didn't want Myrcella to see any of it. She turned back to her little girl instead and started fiddling with her blond locks. 'Then you'll go to Tyrion and borrow the jet from him.'

Her daughter thought she was joking. 'Uncle Tyrion?' she cried out in shock. 'He was the one who betrayed you. He is the reason you are in jail right now.'

Cersei let out a soft chuckle. 'Maybe so. But you know what they say. A Lannister always pays his debts. And trust me, my little brother owes me more than you could imagine.' Seeing the confusion in Myrcella's eyes, she added. 'Besides, there is no one in this damn country who would be happier if I left. Now, go and get yourself and your sister ready. We don't know how much time we have left.'


	16. Chapter 16

**A.N. Here is the last chapter. Thanks for every reader, follower and everyone who left a review (good or bad). :)**

* * *

'Move.' Cersei gave the order after she knocked on Jaime's door and an unusually tall woman opened it.

The woman eyed her up and down, almost unable to speak from the shock. 'What are you doing here? I thought you were in jail.' she remarked coldly.

'Don't you watch the news? I'm back.' Cersei wanted to cut it short and enter the door, but she couldn't get past the other one. 'You are one dumb housekeeper, that's for sure. Move.'

'No.' said the other.

'I want to see my brother.' Cersei demanded.

'Jaime doesn't want to see you.'

'How dare you…?' Cersei was stunned by the audacity of the common housekeeper.

Soon, they heard the sound of footsteps approaching from the stairs and a moment later Myrcella appeared in the door.

'Mom'. she tried to warn her mother who was about to lecture the impertinent employee.

'First of all, it's Mr. Lannister for you.'

Brienne didn't want to let herself angered by the other woman, but the temptation was too big. She couldn't resist. 'Only in the bedroom.'

Cersei had to stand on her tiptoes to reach her cheek when she slapped her. Then, she turned to Myrcella. 'How on earth could Jaime find a housekeeper like that?'

'She's not the housekeeper, Mom.' Myrcella couldn't help but enjoying the misunderstanding. 'Meet the new Mrs. Lannister.'

'What?' Cersei couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry. 'You are Jaime's wife.'

'Now, Brienne.' Myrcella remarked with a hint of scorn in her voice.'It's no way to greet your sister-in-law.'

Without another sound, Brienne turned around and marched back into the living room. Myrcella gave a reassuring smile to her mother before she followed her inside.

* * *

'Were you that desperate or you just couldn't care less anymore?' Cersei asked her twin brother as soon as he joined them.

'Cersei, stop this.' Jaime warned her.

'Or she's your kind of woman now? A giant mamabear… a toy really, that you can cuddle when you're sad… who can wipe away the tears of a coward? It's pathetic.' she spat on the floor.

'Jaime, don't answer her.' Brienne turned to her husband. 'You are not that man anymore.'

Cersei couldn't hold back a genuine laughter. 'Clearly. You can't even speak now.'

'Why are you here, Cersei?' Jaime asked softly. Maybe a bit too softly for Brienne's taste that didn't escape his sister's notice.

'I made a deal with the devil and I gave up my presidency. For now.' Cersei took a step closer to her brother.

'Well, there was not much to give up, was it?' Brienne remarked scornfully.

Cersei deliberately ignored her. She only had eyes for Jaime. 'I came for you. I came for my family.'

'You are a threat to Jon Snow. If you gave him what he wanted, he will kill you.' Jaime took his sister's hands in his.

Cersei sighed. 'I know you were against it, but Myrcella convinced me.'

'What?' Myrcella and Brienne cried out at the same time.

'You swore you would never visit her in prison!' tears shined in Brienne eyes, upon hearing about her husband's betrayal.

'I'm sorry.' Jaime gave her a guilty look and let go of his twin's hands.'She is my…

'You said you were ashamed of the man you were with her. That you are ashamed of your past with her… that ugly incestuous affair she dragged you into…

'I have never said she dragged me.' Jaime tried to save what was savable.

'… and the children that were born in sin. They were taken away by God to punish you.'

Jaime could see the hurt in Cersei's eyes, however well she hid it, when she heard those words.

'Is this really what you think now, Jaime? Are you ashamed of our children? Because I remember you talking differently when they were conceived.' Cersei said scornfully.

'We don't have to listen to this. Just take what you came for. Take your children and leave us.' Brienne replied in a firm voice.

'What about you, Jaime?' his sister looked at him expectantly, but he was speechless. 'Look, I don't care about the lies you told this stupid cow. I don't have much time. If Jon Snow finds me here, he will throw me back in a cell… or worse. If Daenerys fights off his rebellion and she finds me here, that won't be better either. We are all in danger. We have to leave now.' she said with passion. 'Let me make this right. Let me save our family.'

'Jaime, you can't leave with her.' Brienne cried out in horror.

'Dad?' Myrcella urged him too, but there was no answer.

* * *

And suddenly, they ran out of time. Soldiers appeared from nowhere on the front lawn and started banging on the door.

'On the order of President Snow: open the door! We are looking for a war criminal, a fugitive from justice. Cersei Lannister, we know you are in there. If you refuse to let us in, we will take you by force. We know there are children inside, we want no harm to come to them. We are giving you five minutes to surrender yourself or we can't guarantee anyone's safety.'

Cersei was still staring at Jaime as if she was ready to put her fate in his hands. Suddenly, they heard a strange noise and they realized that someone entered the back door. Jaime rushed to the bookshelf and took out a gun he hid behind the books.

'Don't shoot.' a voice cried out as he came out from the shadows and walked into the light.

'Tyrion?' Jaime asked in surprise and lowered his gun. 'Aren't you supposed to be with Daenerys?'

'I'm saving our sister.' came the simple answer. 'Cersei, you have to leave. They came with a whole army and a bunch of cameras. They plan to live stream your capturing.'

Myrcella didn't want to believe her uncle, but she had to face the truth. 'The whole deal was a setup. Snow wants a riot.'

'I'm not going anywhere without my family.' Cersei remarked in a firm voice.

'You can't stay.' Tyrion urged his sister. 'They say they want you to surrender, but really they want you to resist. Nothing would make them happier than giving your dead body to the rebels. You are just a mean to the end. If people see that presidents can be murdered, they will march straight up to Daenerys to kill her.'

At the same moment, they heard someone knocking on the door again.'Armed police! Open up!'

'My helicopter is waiting. We have to leave. Now!' Tyrion shouted.

Cersei quietly nodded toward her brother, then turned to her daughter. 'Myrcella, bring your sister. Hurry up!'

Tyrion waited until Myrcella reached upstairs before he said out the bad news. 'They can't come. It's too dangerous. Only you.'

Cersei tried to protest, but Jaime silenced her with a kiss. 'We'll find you.' he whispered, but they both knew it was nearly impossible and way too dangerous to attempt. 'We'll find you.' Jaime repeated nevertheless.

Tyrion gave them a quick moment, then took his sister's hand and led her to a chopper outside, waiting for her to take off. As soon as Cersei hopped on board, she realized she wasn't alone.

'I should have known. You are the last person I would choose for a travelling companion.'

'The feeling is mutual.' Daenerys Targaryen replied with a scornful smile.


End file.
